MV Rhododendron

The Motor Vessel "Rhododendron" is the sole Rhododendron Class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

She is named for the state flower of Washington, the rhododendron.

The "Rhododendron" is one of two similar Chesapeake Bay ferries that were purchased to become part of the WSF fleet in the 1950s; the other being the now-retired MV "Olympic". The "Rhododendron"'s former name was the MV "Governor Herbert R. O'Conner". She was originally purchased to be used in the interim while other new ferries were being built.

Service History

Her original use in Washington from 1953 to 1961 was on a route from the Olympic Peninsula to the Kitsap Peninsula, near the current site of the Hood Canal Bridge. Her service there ended when the current bridge was built.

At that time, she was reunited with the "Olympic" and reassigned to the Mukilteo-Clinton route, where she stayed until 1974.

In 1975, Washington State Ferries acquired the Port Townsend to Keystone route from a private company and reassigned the "Rhododendron" and the "Olympic" to this route.

In 1983, the "Rhododendron" was mothballed and stored at the WSF maintenance facility at Eagle Harbor. In 1990, the ferry was scheduled for a complete reconditioning. Due to her construction, she is currently not permitted to operate more than one mile (1.6 km) from shore, so in 1993 was reassigned to the Point Defiance to Vashon Island route, a 12 minute trip that is a total of convert|1.5|mi|km long. [http://www.evergreenfleet.com/rhody.html Rhododendron - The Ferry of the State Flower] , evergreenfleet.com]

As of July 2007, she is serving the Point Defiance (Tacoma)-Tahlequah route [http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/current/index.cfm?route=pd-tal Route information] , WSF, WSDOT] . She has sailed that route since 1993.

In 2008 the "Rhodendron" has also been sailing for Pierce County out of Anderson Island due to troubles on the Christine Anderson.

References