MV Kittitas

MV Kittitas is an Issaquah-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

Kittitas arriving at Mukilteo in 2014
History
Name	Kittitas
Owner	WSDOT
Operator	Washington State Ferries
Port of registry	Seattle, Washington, United States
Route	Fauntleroy-Vashon Island-Southworth (as of October 11, 2023)
Ordered	1979 Original 1978 plans shelved
Builder	Marine Power and Equipment, Seattle
Laid down	1979
Christened	1980
Completed	1980 Refit: 1990
In service	1980
Identification	IMO number: 7808114 MMSI number: 366772960 Callsign: WYQ9302[1] Official Number: D627507
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class & type	Issaquah-class auto/passenger ferry
Displacement	3,310 long tons (3,360 t)
Length	328 ft (100.0 m)
Beam	78 ft 8 in (24.0 m)
Draft	16 ft 6 in (5.0 m)
Decks	4
Deck clearance	15 ft 10 in (4.8 m)
Installed power	Total 5,000 hp (3,700 kW) from 2 diesel engines
Propulsion	Diesel
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Capacity	1,200 passengers 124 vehicles (max 26 commercial)[2]

History

The Kittitas was built in 1980, as the second Issaquah-class ferry. When delivered it acted as a relief boat until it was moved to the Mukilteo–Clinton route in the mid 1980s. In 1990, in order to keep up with growing demand, the Kittitas underwent a capacity expansion by adding additional vehicle areas above the vehicle areas along the outside edge of the ferry. These upgrades had been planned for in the original design of the vessels. The ferry's passenger cabin was updated in the late 1990s. Included in the upgrades were the removal of many tables located in the passenger cabin to allow for the bench seats to be spaced closer together in some sections of the ship. The galley area was also upgraded and each ship was given a unique look. The original color on the Kittitas was yellow, and her new colors are a mix of turquoise and orange.^[3]

The Kittitas serves the triangle route along with the MV Cathlamet and MV Sealth.