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Historic Souvenir Edition
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Wednesday November 17, 2010
Chetzemoka arrives!
Port Townsend cheers as ferry begins service By Steve Patch of the Leader
ippy Canoe and Chetzemoka, too? No, the latter went it alone Sunday – listing to starboard as advertised – as the Washington State Ferries system and several hundred of its friends marked the inaugural Coupeville-to-Port Townsend run of its first brand-new ferry in a decade. On board the 750-passenger, 64-car vessel, nicknamed “Eileen” for its aforementioned list, were nearly as many luminaries as media reps. But not even Gov. Christine Gregoire had a better reason for being there than, say, Port Townsend’s Frances Sheldon-O’Neal, 13. “It’s fun,” said the eighth-grader, who was accompanied on the occasion by her grandpa, state Transportation Commissioner Dan O’Neal of Hoodsport. Was she daunted by the early- Gov. Christine Gregoire (fourth from left) deals her christening blow before the Chetzemoka’s inaugural voyage to Port Townsend last Sunday. Photos by Steve Patch morning wakeup call? “Oh, I normally get up around this time,” Frances said, grinning. Any special ferryboat memories? “One time with my grandma, I remember, we walked over to one side of the ferry, and there was an orca whale,” she said. She puzzled and then grinned anew. “And, well, another time, me and my cousin decided we were going to talk with English accents on the ferry. And then my aunt said that, like, we went to the bathroom and a bunch of these girls started talking in English accents after we left.”
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‘ESSENTIAL’
Passengers make the most of their vantage point on Sunday as the Chetzemoka’s inauMeanwhile, inside the jamgural Port Townsend run nears its end. packed main passenger deck, Port Townsend City Council member Kris Nelson – better known to many as the owner of Sirens Pub – was “trying not to get squished,” as she put it. Her take on the Chetzemoka? “Well, you know, I grew up in Port Townsend,” said Nelson, “so my experience with ferries is from a kid. I remember when the ferry was only seasonal, because by this time of year the weather was too bad – and there was no demand. “But remember: Port Townsend also – downtown – was a very different animal. There were mostly abandoned buildings. And there wasn’t a strong downtown business Duly impressed upon completion of the ferry’s maiden voyage on Sunday is Chief ChetzeSee CHETZEMOKA, Page 3▼
moka’s great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter, 7-year-old Danta Bralley of Monroe.
Sunday’s legions await boarding at the Coupeville landing.
Rough seas, first steps and other ferry stories
Getting a tour of Port Townsendʼs new ferry
and full of energy at his peak time of the morning. He was moving around the cabin, holding onto the chairs and upright poles. All of a sudden, he Our daughter works at Todd let go of an upright pole, and a swell Pacific. On Aug. 28, Todd held an forced him forward into his first open house for their employees and walking steps. I squealed, “He’s walking! He’s their families. Our daughter Amber invited us and the rest of our family walking!” All the ferry workers broke out into applause and Nick was quite to attend and tour the Chetzmoka. The company was a very gracious pleased with himself when he finally host, letting visitors see all parts of sat down with a bump. Barbara Sterritt, the boat and stationing experts at B.S., LMP key points to explain all of the feaPort Townsend tures. We even met the CEO. They are proud of their work. The boat is impressive. It appears to be much more capable to handle the rough crossings of the Port Townsend run than the current ferry. It also appears much longer. “Captain” Oscar Lee was my The workmanship also appears top next-door neighbor when I was a lad notch. Richard Smith growing up on Jackson Street in Port Port Ludlow Townsend. Chetzemoka Park was across the street from us and our living room view was of the bay, the shipping lanes, Whidbey Island and the stunning beauty of Mt. Baker in the distant background. And always, our view included the ferry Defiance It was July 1996 early in the as she rock ‘n rolled between Port morning. We were heading up to Townsend and Whidbey Island with a family reunion in Canada and Oscar at the helm. I remember Captain Oscar as a needed to get an early start on the road. We were on the ferry, heading friendly “tough guy,” a bit gruff with to Keystone. There was a large swell us kids at times, but a gentler sort running, and you had to hang on as when it was just one-on-one. He and you walked through the passenger his wife Rose were always nice to cabin. Aside from several ferry work- us. Well, as it sometimes happens ers taking a break in the lobby, we every once in a great while, a buddy and I would find ourselves downwere the only other people there. Our son Nick was 11 months old town on Quincy Street watching the
Oscar, the Defiance and me
Son took first steps aboard the ferry
The 150-foot wooden Defiance, run by Olympic Ferries Inc., operated on the Port Townsend-Keystone route from 1952 to 1970. Here’s a photo from 1959 on the annual ride given to local school children. Leader Collection
ferry come in, unloading and refilling with cars and departing again for Whidbey. And once in a great while, Captain Oscar would be coming from Abby’s Café with a coffee or a sandwich on his way back to board the Defiance. If we looked especially pathetic and eager, he might invite us to tag along. “Come on, take a ride if you want to,” he might say, and onboard we would scamper to cross over and back once, maybe even twice. It didn’t happen often, but it was sure special when it did. We are all products of the physical environment we knew as youngsters, and if you grew up on the Olympic Peninsula in the days before “the bridge,” ferries were an integral part of your travel experience. You
took two ferries to get to “the other side.”(Seattle) You always waited in lines. You sometimes missed the boat. Occasionally, you would have to “drive around” (Hood Canal) because you missed the last boat of the night. It was frustrating, and it was wonderful. Time passed and I settled on the East Coast. After a few years as a newspaper editor, I took a job with the Maryland Department of Transportation, eventually serving as Director of Public Affairs. In 1977, we were planning the 25th anniversary to commemorate the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a magnificent suspension span that stretches four miles over the bay. A part of that planning included my doing some research on what had
happened to the last fleet of ferries that were replaced by the Bay Bridge. As I recall, a couple of the ferries were retired, but two of the newer vessels were sold in 1952 – to Washington State. They were taken from Maryland, down the East Coast, traveled through the Panama Canal and were retrofitted on the West Coast. They were renamed the Olympic and the Rhododendron and provided decades of service on Puget Sound after starting out on the Chesapeake Bay. They went west, and I came east. I’ve ridden ferries in a few other countries and in perhaps a dozen states. I’ve enjoyed the beauty of crossing from San Francisco to See STORIES, Page 4▼