Vigor Fab delivers first Olympic Class ferry to WSF

JUNE 5, 2014—Vigor Fab has delivered the M/V Tokitae, the the first of three funded Olympic class vessels, to Washington State Ferries, Seattle, WA.

Designed by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc., the Olympic Class vessels have a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers and are 362 ft 3 in long x 83 ft 2 in wide. Main propulsion is by two Electro-Motive Diesel engines developing a total 6,000 hp and giving the vessels a speed of 17 knots.

The Tokitae is the first of three Olympic Class ferries that will replace the state’s Evergreen Class boats built in the 1950s.

“With three new 64-car ferries operating, and the first of three new 144-car ferries joining the fleet, the average age of our vessels will drop from 38 years to about 31,” said Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson. “This new vessel brings us closer to increased service reliability, while meeting the needs of taxpayers and our customers.”
Along with added vehicle and passenger capacity, the $144 million Tokitae offers flexible seating configurations, improved heating and ventilation, and greater accessibility for passengers with disabilities.

“Vigor Fab built a top-notch, first-in-class vessel on budget and on time to serve WSF’s peak summer season,” said Senior Vice President Joe Corvelli, head of Vigor Fab, Vigor Industrial’s shipbuilding unit. “The Tokitae is the result of all the skill, hard work and dedication our shipbuilding teams bring to the job every day. These workers have built a vessel ready to serve the people of Washington for the next 60 years.”

“We have a longstanding, productive partnership in new vessel construction with Vigor,” said Capt. George A. Capacci, interim assistant secretary in charge of WSF. “I am elated that we have accepted the Tokitae. Vigor and their subcontractors have delivered a good product that will serve our customers for decades to come.”

The keel for the Tokitae was first laid at the shipyard on March 29, 2012, and it will enter service this summer on the Clinton-Mukilteo route. The second ferry in the series, the Samish, is currently under construction at Vigor with delivery planned for early next year. State lawmakers have provided funding for a third ferry and construction is expected to start toward the end of this year.

Washington State Ferries has a budget of $383.6 million to build the three 144-car ferries.

“More than just a great boat, this ferry represents jobs for more than 500 skilled maritime workers at Vigor and subcontractors around Puget Sound,” Mr. Corvelli said. “The Tokitae is an excellent example of the high-quality complex vessels we can build here in the Pacific Northwest.”