Ferry owner has paid to keep vessel at Port of Olympia through June
The owner of the former Washington state ferry moored at the Port of Olympia has paid to keep the vessel alongside the marine terminal through June, a port official said.
Executive Director Sam Gibboney shared that information during Monday’s port commission meeting.
Ferry owner Bart Lematta, who was the winning bidder for the 310-foot vessel in a November auction, confirmed the extension on Monday and added that he is open to keeping the ferry there even longer. He acknowledged that he’s not feeling as much pressure to move the ferry now that a potential deal to bring two U.S. Maritime Administration vessels to the Olympia port has fallen through.
Port spokeswoman Jennie Foglia-Jones said Monday that Lematta is paying roughly $400 per day, or about $50,000 to keep the ferry moored at the port through June.
“I’m happy to keep paying rent and to keep the port jobs working,” he said.
Although Lematta is still working on his next destination for the ferry, he is making headway with the vessel itself, he told The Olympian. On Monday, after getting a backup generator working, the ferry lights were turned on. He expected to try the airhorn about noon Tuesday.
There’s also a plan to get the ferry’s diesel engines started, but Lematta said he views the diesel engines as a backup source of power, not the primary source. His eventual plan is to use batteries to power the vessel, he said.
He also is considering more ideas for putting the ferry to use. He thinks it could be an outstanding fundraising venue, featuring colored lights and live music, or a research vessel for a university, or even as an incubator space for small businesses.
Using renewable energy remains paramount, he said. He’s been inspired by ferry service between Norway and Sweden that operates entirely on battery power.
“Sustainability is so vital to me,” Lematta said.
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
