New ferry to set sail for Kitsap Transit

A brand new vessel is on the way for the Kitsap Fast Ferry service, thanks to a nice boost from the federal government.

Kitsap Transit is using a $13.5 million federal grant to purchase a new ferry.

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Senator Maria Cantwell wrote a letter in support of the grant, acknowledging the ferry system’s importance to the more than 270,000 Kitsap County residents who rely on the service. The grant will replace a 25-year-old fast ferry that broke down last month with a new eco-friendly vessel.

“More than 270,000 Kitsap County residents count on the ferry system to get them to work, school, doctor appointments, sports and cultural events and more,” Cantwell stated in the letter. “This grant will replace a 25-year-old fast ferry that broke down just last month with a new eco-friendly vessel on the Kingston-Seattle route. As ridership on Kitsap Transit’s fast ferries soars, this new ferry will deliver the world-class service and reliability Washingtonians deserve.”

The total cost of the vessel replacement is about $17.5 million, therefore federal funds will cover 77% of the project.

According to Cantwell’s office, the ferry will use Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 engines, “which meet the strictest requirements for regulation of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.”

The retiring MV Finest helped evacuate people from the World Trade Center on 9/11. Cantwell’s office said it was the second vessel to arrive on the scene.

According to Kitsap Transit’s website, the Finest, built in 1996, was bought from New York Waterway in 2018. It was shipped through the Panama Canal and underwent a $7.5 million remodel before starting the Kingston route in 2018. To repair the Finest in its current state, it would likely cost Kitsap Transit 75% or more of a new vessel, Cantwell’s office stated.

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There’s no word yet on when the new ferry will set sail.

Contributing: Nate Connors, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.