WSF: Wenatchee commissioning continues
Written by Nick Blenkey
Photo: WSF
Washington State Ferries’ 202-vehicle capacity Wenatchee, which became the largest hybrid-electric ferry in the U.S. after a complex conversion at Vigor, returned to full-time service on the Seattle/Bainbridge route June 24 as part of an ongoing commissioning process.
While commissioning is now in its final stage, in his most recent weekly update, Steve Nevey, head of Washington State Ferries, notes that, recently, the vessel has been going in and out of service .
“This is part of the final stage of its propulsion upgrade, called commissioning,” writes Nevey, “During commissioning, which happens after major work, our crews and engineers test the vessel in real-world conditions to identify and fine-tune any issues. Some unexpected issues have come up. But this is a normal part of bringing a 27-year-old ferry into the future with new ship controls and a modern propulsion system.”
One of those unexpected issues is identified in a WSF blog post:
“During testing, crews identified a rare issue with the drive motor system. This is something that didn’t appear earlier. The problem isn’t related to the hybrid-electric conversion. It involves the propulsion system, which was also upgraded during the overhaul.
“Because the issue only appears intermittently, it’s hard to diagnose. It’s even harder to confirm whether the fix worked. The upside? Crews can now recognize the signs, pinpoint the involved equipment and have a strong lead on the likely cause. The challenge is that it’s complex and unpredictable, so solving it takes time and further testing.
“As we continue the commissioning process, our team is confident in a long-term fix. This will keep the Wenatchee running safely and reliably for years to come.
“We do not expect this to be the last issue in this commissioning process, but we do expect the rate and significance of challenges to decrease as we progress forward in this process,” said Forrest Nichols, director of vessel maintenance and engineering at WSF.
- Read the full blog post HERE
