Kingston fast ferry M/V Finest needs $1.8 million in additional repairs

BREMERTON — The Kitsap Transit board on Tuesday approved $1.8 million in additional repairs to the M/V Finest, the vessel that will be used to launch a new passenger-only ferry service between Kingston and Seattle.

The change order, combined with the cost of the boat, shipping it and other repairs, brings the total Kitsap Transit will spend on the Finest to $7.35 million.

Transit officials had hoped to start Kingston service this summer, but with the additional repairs the agency now estimates the vessel won’t be out of the shipyard until late September.

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Kitsap Transit knew when it purchased the 21-year-old catamaran that extensive repairs would be necessary, Marine Services Director Darrell Bryan told the board on Tuesday. But the full extent of the damage wasn’t clear until work began at Nichols Brothers shipyard on Whidbey Island in March.

Mechanics at Nichols Brothers discovered heavy corrosion on the Finest’s engines and HVAC and bilge system piping. All the vessel’s windows need to be replaced, and the water jets need to be completely rebuilt.

The Finest’s previous owner, NY Waterways, had to replace a large amount of aluminum on the vessel before the Coast Guard would issue a certificate of inspection, which would allow it to be sold. Some of the replacement metal was not installed correctly and will need to be redone.

An examination by experts showed the vessel’s electrical system is unsafe and will need to be replaced, Bryan said.

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"It's hard to get the full effect of just how bad this was," Bryan told the board.

Kitsap Transit bought the Finest from NY Waterways in September, with the goal of using it on the Kingston-Seattle route until a full-time vessel can be built. Its initial price tag was $2.3 million, which was dropped to $1.5 million when the agencies agreed that some repairs would be done here instead of in New York.

Most of the damage to the Finest’s engines was due to a lack of maintenance and upkeep on the part of NY Waterways, Bryan said. The company didn’t winterize the engines or store them properly, which allowed water to get in.

In another instance, aluminum had been glued instead of welded to the hull.

The initial contract with Nichols Brothers for repairs was $3.4 million.

Before buying the Finest, the agency hired a surveyor, Blue Water Marine Services, to examine the vessel and report back. Several shipyards also sent representatives to New York to inspect the Finest before bids opened for the repair work.

Kitsap Transit executive director John Clauson said many of the issues weren’t visible on the surface and became apparent once Nichols Brothers started pulling the Finest apart. But several board members questioned why the surveyor didn’t catch some of the more obvious issues.

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Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson, a transit board member, asked if Kitsap Transit had reached out to any of the contractors that traveled to New York to inspect the Finest.

“The pictures that we’ve seen here, it’s pretty obvious stuff,” Erickson said.  “My question is, have you contacted any of the people that took the trip back to New York, any of the shipyards, and asked if they knew?”

Clauson said Kitsap Transit has not reached out to any of the unsuccessful bidders, and the shipyards didn’t bring up the issues during a pre-bid meeting. Kitsap Transit has been questioning Nichols Brothers and has hired a marine engineering firm on site as an owner’s representative.

“Whether it should have been caught by one of the bidders I don't know,” Clauson said. “I question kind of the same thing, if some of this stuff was obvious, why didn't somebody see it?”

Clauson added that Kitsap Transit is looking into potential legal options with regard to the surveyor.

Even with the change order, the total cost of the Finest refurbishment is about 35 to 40 percent of the cost of a new vessel, according to Bryan. Once repaired, the Finest could last at least 10 years if properly maintained.

“That doesn't lessen the pain, but I think gives an indication of where we're at with this,” Bryan said.

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the extra repairs. Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putaansuu favored getting the fixes out of the way before the beginning of Kingston service.

“We need this boat to operate the service and we can't wait another year for the other boats to come, and we've already got a significant investment in this vessel,” Putaansuu said.