M.V. KITSAP Official Number: 630023 Call Sign: WYR3421 Length: 328'  Beam: 78' 8''  Draft: 16' 6''  Auto Deck Clearance: 16' Horsepower: 5,000   Speed in Knots: 16 Max Passengers: 1200  Vehicles: 124 City Built: Seattle    Year Built/Re-built: 1980 / 1992 Name Translation: Kitsap was a war chief and medicine man under Chief Seattle (see Sealth). The name means "brave." A county is also named after him. With Mount Rainier towering behind her, the Kitsap sails into Rich Passage in the spring of 2011.  Photo courtesy of Matt Masuoka.
The Kitsap probably boasts the most notorious event in the Issaquah Class history that actually wasn't mechanical in nature:  a full fledged riot  on board that resulted in some $40,000.00 in damages after some punk rockers got out of hand returning from a concert in Bremerton.      Aside from the riot, the other most notable event for the Kitsap was in 1991. Sailing through  Rich Passage in heavy fog, she managed to bang into her sister ferry Sealth. Five years later she went aground in nearly the same spot.      In spite of these colorful incidents, the Kitsap has lead a relatively sadate life, delivery thousands of passengers to their destinations safely and without mishap.      In early '00  the ferry went to the Lake Union Drydock company to have the main reduction gears replaced and to have the interior redone.  She came back to the Bremerton run in July of '00, looking like a new vessel.     The Kitsap is generally a relief vessel, sitting in for whatever Issaquah Class ferry is out for maintenance. When not filling in for another Issaquah, the ferry can generally be found working the Seattle-Bremerton route.
The Kitsap actually retained some of her  "rainbow" color--blue.  Although in the original interior it was a lighter blue than seen here in the galley.  Photo by the author.
The ferry system has done a very good job at selecting historic photos for the ferries.  The Kitsap displays some very interesting shots of Bremerton, including one of the Chippewa, a ferry that called the Bremerton route home for decades. Photod by the author.
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