Retired State Ferry Hiyu Sold Will Become Floating Entertainment Venue

Seattle, WA – The Washington State Ferries announced the sale fo its smallest retired Ferry, Hiyu, to Menagerie Inc.  The 50-year old Ferry Officially changes hands today, when it will be towed from the Eagle Harbor Maintenance yard. The new owner plans to repurpose the vessel as a floating entertainment venue.

We make every effort to keep our retired ferries operational, instead of being sold for scrap,” said WSF Chief of Staff Elizabeth Kosa. “I’m pleased the Hiyu will continue to serve Washingtonians on the water in her second life as a floating entertainment locale.”

The Hiyu is 162-feet long and considered by many to be amongst the cutest and most cherished ferries in Washington State Ferries History.  The Ferry ran from 1967 until 2016. The Hiyu outlived her usefulness to move people and goods across Puget Sound due to high maintenance costs, lack of ADA accommodations and only having a 34-vehicle capacity.

The Hiyu severed multiple routes, including the Point Defiance/Tahlequah and San Juan Islands Inter-Island routes.   The Hiyu was put in storage in the late 1990’s for over a decade but reemerged in recent years as a relief vessel and became known as “baby Hiyu.”  The Hiyu’s last sailing was July 23rd, 2015.

Starting at 2 p.m. today the Hiyu will be towed from the Washington State Ferries Eagle Harbor Shipyard. The public cans see the ferry travel through the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Chittenden Locks in Ballard on its way to its new home on Lake Union in Seattle.

The Washington State Ferries put two retired  state ferries up for sale in 2016, including the Hiyu and the Evergreen State. The Hiyu sold for $150,000 to Menagerie Inc. Washington State Ferries is in negotiations with parties interested in purchasing the second ferry but a deal has not been finalized.

Washington State Ferries, a Division of the Washington State Department of Transportation is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and carries 24 million people a year.

 

 

 

Source: wsdot.wa.gov Ian Sterling. WSF Communications