KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The defunct ferry Kalakala, once used as a cannery in Kodiak, shown in Puget Sound where it once plied the waters for decades. Photo Kalakala.org.
Jay Barrett/KMXT and The AP
The historic Washington State ferry Kalakala is for sale, for one dollar or best offer.
The once-sleek, silver, art-deco vessel is now in Tacoma after bouncing around Puget Sound since being refloated in Kodiak 14 years ago.
The one-of-a-kind ferry is starting to sink and the Coast Guard may seize the boat as early as January 1st. It is unknown what the fate of the ferry would be if it is seized.
Built in the 1920s, the Kalakala sailed the Bremerton route for more than 30 years before it was auctioned off in 1967. It was re-purposed in Alaska as a fish processing ship in Dutch Harbor before being brought to Kodiak and grounded in Gibson Cove as a cannery in 1972. It was refloated in 1997 through the efforts of Peter Bevis and others, and towed to Seattle.
Current owner Steve Rodrigues says the one buck sale price is for someone who commits to renovating the Kalakala, which he estimates could cost nearly $50-million. He says salvage companies are not welcome.
