Ferry christening ahead

Wahkiakum County's new ferry, the "Oscar B," will be christened and launched this Saturday at the IceFloe/Nichols Brothers Boat Yard on Whidby Island.

The county board of commissioners will be on hand for the ceremony and have issued a special meeting notice.

The event will be at 12:30 p.m. at the boatyard, 5400 Cameron Road, Freeland.

The "Oscar B." will replace the "Wahkiakum" which has been in service since 1962. The ferry was named after Oscar Bergseng, who owned and operated the ferry as a private business before passing it to the county. It will be a larger vessel with a 22-24 vehicle capacity; the "Wahkiakum" has a 12-car capacity.

Nichols Brothers is located across a county road from Holmes Harbor. To launch a vessel, workers attach it to track crawlers which transport it across the road and down the beach. The crew then detaches the vessel and waits for the tide to float it.

The "Oscar B" will undergo further fitting and sea trials and be delivered to the county's Puget Island ferry landing on February 27. County officials will host a program to put it into service.

The county will probably declare the "Wahkiakum" surplus and offer it for sale.

"I feel it will be too expensive for us to try and keep it in operation once we have the new ferry," Ringen said in an email on Tuesday. "We have had several inquiries about purchasing it."