Ferry repair set; back in service soon

The ferry Oscar B. should be back in service sometime late next week, Wahkiakum County officials said Tuesday.

The US Coast Guard ordered the ferry docked three weeks ago after debris plugged the fresh water cooling intake for the primary and auxiliary generators.

Inspectors and engineers have settled on a design for modifications to the intake, and the county commissioners on Tuesday authorized Public Works Director Chuck Beyer to select one of two shipyards to begin the work as soon as possible.

Beyer said the work should be done in 7-9 days.

County Engineer Paul Lacey said designers looked at several options.

One was retrofitting to add an internal cooling system. However, the manufacturer said the generators aren't set up for that method.

A second suggestion was to install new generators. However, designers determined they would create too much heat in the engine room.

The third suggestion was to install auxiliary generators on the deck. Lacey said the Coast Guard wouldn't have approved that solution because the electrical lines have to be hard wired onto the vessel.

In the end, they decided to add a second intake in the existing sea chest, which is a well or recess near the bottom of a vessel from which piping systems draw raw water for cooling or other uses. They would improve the screens and extend the sea chest so that it could be accessed from the deck instead of requiring a diver.

Beyer said Tuesday morning that he had an estimate from a ship yard to do the repairs for approximately $150,000, and he was awaiting word from a second yard about its ability to do the work and what the cost would be.

County commissioners passed a resolution declaring that the urgency to resume service created a special market condition, and thus, bidding requirements could be waived and Beyer had authority to contract with one of the two shipyards for the repair.

At this point, it is uncertain who will ultimately pay for the repairs.

The ferry is under a manufacturer's warranty, but, as Beyer said, it was built to design specifications.

County officials agreed they would pay for the work and seek compensation later.

"We should bite the bullet now and go after it (compensation) later," Beyer said.