Hyak (ship)
 The Hyak off Lopez Island, May 2016
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The Hyak is a ferry of the US shipping company Washington State Ferries that was put into service in 1967 and is the lead ship of the super class . In June 2017 she was taken out of service and has since operated as a reserve ship on various routes. The final decommissioning took place in June 2019.
history
The Hyak was launched on December 17, 1966 as a type ship of the super class in the shipyard of the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego and was handed over to Washington State Ferries on July 4, 1967. The takeover was delayed by storm damage during the transfer trip. On July 19, 1967, the ferry was finally able to start service between Seattle and Bremerton . The new type of ship was able to shorten the previously estimated crossing time of 65 minutes to 45 minutes. The name Hyak means fast in Chinook Wawa . The ship later switched to ferry service between the San Juan Islands
The Hyak stayed on the same route for almost 50 years and was considered the most reliable ship in her class, several of which were involved in accidents in their careers. In June 2015 it was replaced by the new Samish building and returned to service on its original route from Seattle to Bremerton.
Since June 2017, the Hyak has not been used in official service, but instead represents her newer fleet sisters as a reserve ship in the event of breakdowns due to repairs. It is used on different routes. Originally, the final decommissioning of the ship was planned for 2018, but this was postponed for a year.
On August 22, 2018, the ferry suffered machine damage and was therefore canceled for the second time in its career due to unplanned repairs. She experienced her first failure in April 1986 after running aground off Anacortes . The ship resumed service at the beginning of November 2018.
On June 30, 2019, the Hyak finally ended its service after 52 years. It has been launched since then and is intended to serve as a spare parts carrier for its sister ships that are still active.
