Construction on the state’s third 144-car ferry has begun, and the job is expected to keep Nichols Brothers Boat Builders workers busy into 2016.
“This is a big, big deal for us,” said Matt Nichols, CEO of the Freeland shipyard. “It takes us a long way down the road.”
As it did with the Tokitae and Samish, Nichols Brothers is contracted to build the vessel’s superstructure. Vigor Industrial in Seattle will complete the hull, and once both are complete, merge the two pieces together. The new ferry, recently named the Chimacum by the Washington State Transportation Commission, is scheduled for completion in early 2017.
The Tokitae is already in service on the Clinton-to-Mukilteo ferry route, and the Samish is still under construction but slated for service early this year. It’s currently assigned to the San Juan Islands ferry route. The Chimacum’s future route has yet to be determined.
According to the state Department of Transportation, Ferries Division, the total budget for the three boats is $395.5 million: the Tokitae cost $144 million, the Samish $126.4 million and the Chimacum $123 million.
The Legislature funded the third vessel during the 2014 spring session, and the subsequent contract tallies out to about $26 million for Nichols Brothers and its current employee roster of over 235 workers. That number is climbing due to the ferry contract and other projects at the yard, Nichols said.
First and foremost, the company is building two articulated tug and barges (or ATBs) for Kirby Offshore Marine. Rather than towing loads from ahead like contemporary tugboats, ATBs are designed to lock into the back of a barge to form a single vessel that pushes from astern.
And at 136 feet long and 44 feet wide, these are large ocean-going ships, Nichols said.
“They are pretty big tugs, probably the biggest we’ve ever built,” Nichols said.
Powered with twin 5,000 horsepower engines — 10,000 total — they are expected to push barges measuring 581 feet in length and 96 feet wide.
The yard is also working on a 24-car, 100-passenger ferry for Wahkiakum County. It’s expected to be christened next week.
Finally, the yard has taken on four repair jobs for ships of various sizes and service.
