M.V. ISSAQUAH Official Number: 624022   Call Sign:WSD3625 Length: 328'  Beam: 78' 8''  Draft: 16' 6'' Speed in Knots: 16    Auto Deck Clearance: 16' Max Passengers: 1200  Max Vehicles: 124 City Built: Seattle   Year Built/Re-built: 1979 / 1989 Name Translation: "Snake." Displaying the flying T on her stack, the Issaquah approaches Fauntleroy.  Photo courtesy of Matt Masuoka.

Back in the 1970’s, the Issaquahs were replacing a fleet of old wooden hulled boats.  The state wasn’t looking for anything particularly extravagant or luxurious—just simple, comfortable, reliable boats.      Originally the plan was for three boats to look like the drawing above.  However, the state recalled the bid after the only bidder--a shipyard in Texas--came in 64% over the state's cost of 36 million.  The plans were shelved.      A year later the plan was resurrected.  The idea of being able to slice the boats up for expansion was dropped.  Instead, six boats would be built as inexpensively as possible.  To make each boat seem individual,  slight changes in the color of the burlap wallpaper, paint on bulkhead walls and floor tile was done.  Given that there were six vessels, that gave the builders six different colors to work from.  As the boats began to appear, they were publicized as the "Rainbow Class" because of the different “colors” of each interior.      Unfortunately, the cheerful term for the class was not well received as the problems with them began to appear.   Reliability was thrown out the window within the first few months, and the boats were about as “plain Jane”  and un-rainbow like as you could get.   Even the foam rubber seats were too hard and quickly drew complaints for being nearly unbearable to sit upon for any length of time.      The name, not surprisingly, never stuck.  Overshadowed  by the mechanical problems that at first plagued the class, the cutesy “rainbow” moniker quietly died.  Commuters were not taken in by a bit of tile and paint—it was patently  obvious that  the vessels were virtually identical inside.  As time went on the six ferries  were referred to by  first vessel in the fleet—the Issaquah—and the only place you’ll find them listed as the “Rainbow Class” are on very old postcards.      The Issy went into service in 1979.  Her  “rainbow”  color had been orange--a color that is no longer present anywhere on the boat.    The Issaquah was the first to be refurbished in the class, and emerged from the yard with a far more comfortable interior than had previously been installed.   Different shades of blue and tan were used in the main cabin with touches of red in the redesigned galley.  Commuters familiar with the boring interior previously installed on the boat found themselves on a virtually new ferry.   A far more comfortable vessel, the Issaquah was  now adorned with Native American artwork on cedar panels and framed historic photographs throughout the cabin.    The Issaquah spent her early years on the Bremerton run, but shifted around for time in the 1980’s.  After being refurbished though, she was shifted over the Southworth Vashon Fauntleroy run when added capacity was needed.  She’s been there for well over a decade now, and is largely considered a “Vashon” ferry.       Her interior was redone in the early 1990's as a test for materials for the Jumbo Mark II class, and had started to wear out.  The Issaquah went in for refurbishment and emerged looking not unlike the Sealth, using darker blues which are less likely to show discoloration.

The Issaquah's refurbished interior  has made use of darker colors, and bears more than a passing resemblance to the Sealth.  Photos courtesy of Zack Heistand.  Mouse over for the before photos, courtesy of Ross Williams.

The original concept for the Issaquah class looks suspiciously like the current drawings from Washington State Ferries for the new 144 car class vessels.  The big difference here is the center section of the concept of the Issaquah was designed to be cut out to allow expansion of the vessel, as B.C. Ferries had started to do about the time the plans for the what would become the Issaquah Class were drawn up.  Courtesy  of Johan Iversen.

Two shots of the Issaquah before her recent refurbishment.  The Salish artwork remains on the ferry.  The galley remains largely unchanged.  The originally galley once contained cast off furniture from a California Burger King.  Photos courtesy of Ross Williams.

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