62
FOGHORN
E
astern Shipbuilding Group 
Inc. (ESG) and Washington 
State Ferries (WSF) marked the 
start of construction on three new 
160-vehicle hybrid-electric ferries at 
a steel cutting ceremony in Florida. 
This first vessel, Wishkah, is sched-
uled to be delivered by 2030. 
David Sowers, program administrator 
for system electrification at Washing-
ton State Ferries, headlined the event 
and announced that Washington 
state is accepting the option in the 
contract for a third boat. According to 
the governor’s office, the total cost of 
the three vessels will be $1.15 billion, 
below the $1.3 billion appropriated 
by the legislature. The three ferries 
will be delivered in three consecutive 
years and will be begin with serve 
WSF’s Mukilteo/Clinton and Seattle/
Bremerton routes.
Designed by Elliott Bay Design 
Group, Wishkah is the first new vessel 
built by WSF in a decade and the first 
of up to 16 new vessels that are part 
of WSF’s $6 billion Ferry System Elec-
trification Program. Once the WSF 
terminals are ready with charging 
power, the new vessels are expected to 
MEMBER NEWS
Construction 
Underway  
for New  
Washington 
State Ferries 
Hybrid Vessels
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