Kalakala
 The Kalakala in Elliott Bay, 1962
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The Kalakala was a passenger ferry built in 1926 by the Puget Sound Navigation Company . The Kalakala was mainly because of their streamlined known designs and was very popular with both tourists and locals. During Expo 62 , the Kalakala was the most visited attraction in Seattle after the Space Needle . Since 2006, the ship has been on the National Register of Historic Places .
period of service
The Kalakala was built in 1926 as a Peralta by Moore Drydock Co. for service in San Francisco Bay. On May 6, 1933, she burned down completely at her berth, which completely destroyed her superstructure. However, the hull had remained intact and was therefore sold to the Puget Sound Navigation Company in October 1933. The ship was rebuilt shortly thereafter in the Lake Washington Shipyard in Houghton, Washington.
The new design of the Kalakala was inspired by aircraft construction and designed by Louis Proctor, a Boeing engineer. It was inspired by the wife of the owner of the Puget Sound Navigation Company, who wanted a modern and revolutionary design for the new ferry. The exterior of the Kalakala navigating bridge was modeled on an aircraft cockpit. In November 1934, the ship was officially christened Kalakala by William Thorniley, President of the Puget Sound Navigation Company , which means "bird" in the Chinook Wawa language . Shortly thereafter, the new ferry was advertised nationwide with large banners and advertising lettering.
On July 4, 1935, the ship was put into service with great public and press interest. Within a short time, the Kalakala was considered the most photographed object in the world after the Eiffel Tower . The interior of the ship was decorated in the Art Deco style and had a separate lounge for both women and men. In addition to the normal route as a ferry, the Kalakala also undertook so-called "moonlight cruises" at night, which were accompanied by a dance orchestra.
After the outbreak of World War II, the ship served as a transporter for shipyard workers and employees of the US Navy . The Kalakala was nicknamed the "workhorse from Puget Sound".
After the war, the ship returned to its original service. In 1946 the Kalakala was equipped with the first commercial radar system. The Kalakala remained one of the most popular excursion destinations, but was often criticized for its functionality. The view from the navigating bridge was poor, and its streamlined design meant it could transport fewer vehicles than other ferries of its size. After the introduction of the new Evergreen State class in 1954, the ship was definitely obsolete. In 1955 she was relocated to the Port Angeles - Victoria route, because her closed bow meant she could also head for open waters. In 1956 the propellers of the ship were replaced in order to prevent the Kalakala from rolling, which had been very strong in rough seas . However, as it continued to lurch, the press quickly gave it rather unfavorable nicknames such as Kackerlacka . In 1962, the Kalakala was used for the Seattle Expo as a tour boat for visitors to the exhibition. In 1967 the ship was finally retired.
After the service period
After being taken out of service, the Kalakala was towed to Alaska and used as a processing vessel for the shrimp fishery. After two years, the ship was pulled ashore in Kodiak in 1970 and used there as a factory for shrimp. In 1984, Peter Bevis discovered the rusted ship while on a fishing trip and decided to buy it. After all items that were not part of the original equipment were removed, the Kalakala was made buoyant again and towed back to Seattle. In the years to come Bevis got into trouble again and again because he could not pay for a renovation of the ship or its berth. Therefore, the Kalakala was sold to a private investor in 2004 and towed to Neah Bay . However, after problems with the owners of the berth, the ship was towed to Tacoma shortly afterwards . In 2008, Steve Rodriguez, the owner of the Kalakala, announced that he would either use solar power and solar energy to put the former ferry back into service or open it as a museum. A renovation in the dry dock announced for 2010 did not take place. After six years in Tacoma, the ship was slowly listing. To avoid eviction from the wreck, Rodriguez offered the ship for a symbolic price of one dollar if the new owner would renovate the Kalakala . After no one was ready to buy, the Coast Guard declared the ship a threat to shipping in December 2011 and threatened to evict the Kalakala . In July 2012, Rodriguez sued Washington State because, according to his testimony, he was responsible for maintaining the ferry, which had been a listed building since 2006, and had neglected his duties. In November 2012 the ship was confiscated by Karl Anderson, the owner of the berth, because Rodriguez owed him $ 4,000.
scrapping
On January 4, 2015, Karl Anderson announced that he would sell the Kalakala for scrapping. As a final attempt to save the historic ship, Anderson had banners attached to the wings of the bridge calling for the Kalakala to be bought . Nevertheless, the ship was towed to a dry dock on January 22nd and scrapped there within a few days. The equipment and parts of the fuselage were sold as souvenirs.
Others
Over the years, the rusted Kalakala has been seen several times as a backdrop in documentaries and films. In addition, the Icelandic band múm gave a live concert on board the decommissioned ship. A wall painting of the ship can still be seen in Port Angeles today.
Web links
- Official website
- Report on the scrapping
- Report on the scrapping with many pictures of the ship
- History of the ship
- Entry in the Washington encyclopedia HistoryLink (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The fire of the Peralta. Retrieved June 1, 2015 .
- ↑ The conversion to the Kalakala. Retrieved June 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Period of service as a factory ship. Retrieved June 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Ship list. March 26, 2011, accessed June 1, 2015 .
- ^ Change of ownership in November 2012. November 13, 2012, accessed June 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Notification of the impending scrapping. January 5, 2015, accessed June 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Kalakala arrives at the scrap yard. January 22, 2015, accessed June 1, 2015 .