Maritime Reporter, March 1973

<BODY> <div> double-bottom structure. All fuel oil (diesel) storage is in the dou- ble-bottoms of the engine room. Drinking water is stored in rectan- gular tanks in each end within void compartments. The movement of vehicles on and off the ferries will follow the usual course: through either ends of the main deck. A partial deck located just above the main deck provides additional lanes for better, faster handling of traffic. The main deck has four truck or auto lanes at the center section between the engine casings, and four other passenger-auto lanes are situated outside of the engine casing, two on each side. On the partial gallery deck are four more passenger-auto lanes, two on each side, between the out- board engine casing and the side curtain plating. Vehicles are loaded and unloaded from each end of the gallery deck through the inclined ramp to the main deck. The vessels' space arrangements were carefully planned to provide the maximum of passenger comfort and luxury. Since one ship is slated to make a 20-minute six-mile run, and the other a run lasting two full hours, the interior designer has stressed the need for an atmosphere conducive to greater sociability and increased communications among passengers. Primary space for passengers is on the upper deck and secondary space with protected "outside" seating in the two solariums on the sun deck. The upper deck arrange- ment includes informal, carpeted seating areas, a cafeteria, galley, of- fice, first-aid room, nonsmoking areas, table and settee area for group seating, utility spaces, and rest rooms. Passenger inside seating is 1,532, and outside seating is provided for 468 passengers. Total seating ca- pacity is 2,000. Officers -and crew staterooms to accommodate 17 men are located behind each wheelhouse on the sun deck. For convenience of operating personnel on each ferry, a mainte- nance crew locker and sitting room is provided on the upper deck, a deck crew locker and sitting room on the second deck, an enclosed en- gineer's locker and sitting room in the engine room. The dining facilities of the na- tion's biggest and fastest of the double-ended ferries is no gourmet restaurant nor does her sun decks rival those of the ocean's best pri- vate luxury liners, but the Wash- ington State ferry Spokane's living spaces, decks and passenger sec- tions possess exquisite decor of the first order. The interior of the Spokane features carpeted floors, ornate lighting and golden tones, which add up to passenger com- fort, as can be seen in the pictures on this page. Tourists, as well as daily com- muters, will appreciate the attrac- tive quality of the interiors of this new class of Puget Sound ferry, to say nothing of the vehicle capacity for 206 standard-size automobiles, which should greatly help the over- load problem which plagues many ferry users during peak commuter hours and on weekends during the busy summer months. The Spokane is scheduled to serve on the Seattle-Winslow run next month. Her sister ship, Walla Walla, is on a Todd Seattle dry- dock, her work in full swing, with a completion date also scheduled for next month. Todd won the con- tract to build the two Washington State ferries at $17,788,000 and an additional bid of $113,176 for the two solariums on each ferry. This sum was made available by action of the 1970 Legislature, which ear- marked 3/8ths of one cent of the state gas tax for the improvement of cross-Sound transportation. Principal Suppliers Main Engines Electrical Propulsion Components Diesel Generators Electrical Distribution Shafting Propellers CO2 Fixed System Radar Thrust Bearing Stern Tube Bearings Pumps Steering Gear Bell Logger & Telephone Fuel Oil Centrifuge Galley Equipment M. J. Doors Sliding W.T. Doors Deck Covering & Wall Covering Insulation Interior Decor Interior Designs Vent Fans Marinite Windows Ventilation Controls Life Preservers Furniture Compasses Line Shaft Bearing The upper deck (passenger deck) of Spokane's number one end. Photo taken from the bow. Electro Motive Div. General Motors General Electric Waukesha Square D Earle M. Jorgensen Coolidge Walter Kidde Decca Waukesha Waukesha Pacific Pumping Carver Sperry Henschel De Laval J. & F. Industries Grand Metal Products Walz & Krenzer Fryer-Knowles E.J. Bartells Co. Stanley Plastics Commercial Displayers Cascade Glass Fryer Noble Burhans Aladdin Buffalo Johns Manville Co. Cornell Carr Powers Regulator Atlantic Pacific Tri-Way Industries Baker Lyman Cooper Another upper deck view showing the stairs to the two solariums on the sun deck. Looking into the galley from the serving line. Portions of the ornate lighting are visible. March 1, 1973 7 </div> <span id="lblContents"></span> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.digitalwavepublishing.com/" title="Digital Magazine">Digital Wave Publishing</a> </BODY>