MV KALAKALA

One of the Many icons in Western Washington is the Washington State Ferry System. With a Huge chunk of our real Estate across Puget Sound, The major way across the waters is by Ferry. Bridges are not Cost effective due to our extremely unstable Land Mass. We are sitting on Glacial Deposits, and the waters are filling the deep valleys scoured out by these Glaciers many eons ago.

The first settlers here knew that they were gonna have to have a means to commute to all of the Islands, and they had what was then called the Mosquito Fleet…Small Boats that ferried passengers and freight from one town to the other; Sometimes on the same Island.

When Automobiles became the method of choice to get to and from town, and to and from the town to the city, The only way was to drive around the sound, which could take several days. If there was a road. And if there was a bridge!

What was a perfect work around was to have a series of Motor Vessels that could carry cars from Island to Island. Several were built and in the 20’s a fleet of these vessels were started. For the most part, These vessels are Still in use today. Of course they have been re-worked, re-built, re-done and are in need of repair once more.

During the Retro era of the 1930’s there was a reconditioned Hull out of the San Francisco Bay that had caught fire and was burned almost to the water line. The Hull was salvaged and then re-fitted with the current style that it has today. This was the beginning of the MV Kalakala.




We in The Puget Sound region, call it The Silver Slug, because it looks just like our State Animal, The Slug. It ran back and forth across the sound ferrying vehicles and passengers across to the Olympic Peninsula. When the new generation of Super Ferries was built in the 60’s and 70’s, the Kalakala was retired from the fleet and sold. Through many evolutions it was eventually brought back to the Seattle Area, Battered, Beaten, Rusted, and at one time grounded. But she still had Life.





In Late 2003 it was finally sold on E-Bay for a nominal price. It was purchased by a gentleman that has intentions to restore it back to the glamour it had in the 1930’s and turn it into a Restaurant and Museum. An admirable plan. Unfortunately the Government has gotten in the way of a simple move to another location. It was blocked by people who were afraid it would become an eyesore. It was then decided to move it to another location, and that too was thwarted.

Today, the owner of the Vessel and the owner of the moorage came to an impasse, and the Kalakala was untied and left to float on Lake Union. The Coast Guard does not want to give it permission to pass through the Ballard Locks and into the Sound, to be towed to its’ temporary location, because there is a storm coming in. Since the intended location for the Kalakala is at Neah Bay, at the Western Entrance to the Straight of Juan de Fuca, and when ever there is a storm it comes blowing right into the Straight, The US Coast Guard was afraid it would turn into a 200’metal sail and be uncontrollable. They have a good point!

The last I heard it was going to be towed to the East end of the Ship Canal, and be anchored there until it is safe to be towed on to Neah Bay.

This whole venture is an admirable one. I can only hope that the new owner really does have the financing and the where-with-all to follow through with this plan. It really would make an excellent waterfront restaurant and Museum in downtown Seattle. If done correctly, it could also be a wonderful museum and testimony to the boats and ships and vessels that have plied the waters of Puget Sound.

I hope it comes to fruition. For further History and pictures, go to the MV KALAKALA website and read all about its history, from burned out hull to fish cannery to building, back to Vessel. It really is an interesting part of our history.