MV Chimacum is the third vessel of the auto ferries for the Washington State Ferries system. The ship was built by Vigor Industrial at their shipyard in Seattle, Washington and entered service on the Seattle–Bremerton route in 2017.
The auto ferries, also known as the 144 Car Ferries, are based on the Issaquah design.[1] They measure 362inchesft0inchesin (ftin) long overall[2] and between perpendiculars[3] with a beam at the lower vehicle deck of and a draft at design load waterline of . The vessels have a displacement at design load waterline of 4320LT.
Ferries of the Olympic class are powered by two Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) two-stroke 12-710G7C diesel engines, each mounted at either end of the ferry turning a propeller at each end of the ship[4] creating 6000shp total. This gives the ships a maximum speed of 17kn and the vessels have capacity for of diesel fuel. The Olympic-class ferries were designed with two car decks, a sun deck and a passenger deck. They can load up to 144 automobiles, using a ramp that is two lanes wide. The ferries can embark 1,500 persons with seating for 1,300.
The Olympic class is the result of the Washington State Department of Transportation requiring replacements for its aging ferry fleet. Funding for a third Olympic-class vessel was authorized in the Spring 2014 session of the Washington State Legislature, and the keel laying and first weld took place on December 9, 2014. The name Chimacum, the gathering place of the Chemakum tribe, was chosen by the Washington State Transportation Commission in November 2014.
She was christened on September 14, 2016 by Lynne Griffith, who at the time was serving as the head of the ferries system, the first woman to hold the office. The ceremony took place at the Vigor Industrial shipyard on Seattle's Harbor Island.[5] She was delivered to Washington State Ferries on April 7, 2017, with her entry into service, replacing, expected in the following months.[6] The vessel cost $123 million approximately. Chimacum was forced into a three-day early temporary service on May 24 after suffered a mechanical breakdown and all other vessels were in maintenance until, could replace her on the Seattle–Bremerton run to finish sea trials and training.[7] The vessel entered regular service in June 2017 on the Seattle–Bremerton route.[8] In November 2020, Chimacum was the only ferry servicing the route after emergency repairs were required for fleetmate .[9]