Name chosen for newest superclass 144 car ferry

The Yakima is also a 144 car super class ferry
Photo courtesy Wikipedia

After gathering public input over the past few months, the Washington State Transportation Commission has selected Chimacum as the name for the next 144-car ferry.

The commission had considered four proposed names that were determined to meet eligibility requirements: Cowlitz, Sammamish, Suquamish and Chimacum.

Nearly 6,000 people from across the state shared their preferences for the next ferry name via an online survey sent to members of the Voice of Washington State (VOWS) and the Ferry Riders Opinion Group (FROG) survey panels. The commission also heard from about 100 people via email, and received input from members of Ferry Advisory committees throughout the ferry system and from Washington State Ferries.

Of the 23 vessels in the Washington State Ferry’s fleet, many have names reflecting the state’s tribal, geographic and historic heritage. The most recently named vessels: Samish and Tokitae are in keeping with that tradition.