M.V. SPOKANE Official Number: 544785    Call Sign: WYX2004     Length: 440'    Beam: 87'   Horsepower: 11,500   Draft: 16'   Auto Deck Clearance: 16' Horsepower: 11,500    Speed in Knots: 18  Max Passengers: 2000     Max Vehicles: 188 City Built:  Seattle  Year Built/Re-built: 1972/2003 Meaning of Spokane: Eastern Washington Native American tribe: "children of the sun" or "sun people." A city, county and river are also named after the tribe. The Spokane crossing to Edmonds on a gloomy morning on 31 January, 2011.  Author's photo.
	For the first two decades of their life on Puget Sound, the Jumbos spent their days on the Winslow (Bainbridge Island)-Seattle route.  In spite of the early grousing of commuters about the aesthetically unpleasing interior (which was justified to a large extent, including the very poorly laid out seating) the boats settled in to a very comfortable routine on the run.      The pluses certainly outweighed the minuses: the sun deck was (and continues to be) a popular place for commuters and tourists alike during the summer months, and the open, airy cabin was a welcomed addition.      In the 1990’s the Spokane’s interior was overhauled.  Allegedly part of the project was to test the materials to be use in vessel for materials for the  Jumbo Mark II which were then on the drawing board.  When the Spokane returned to service, it was to mixed reviews.  Certainly the new seats were far more comfortable than the teacup predecessors.  The carpet, which had been nearly impossible to keep clean was replaced with much more practical tile.      The color scheme however, was a bit of a shock.  The palette included an orange color that bordered somewhere between tangerine an apricot, black, tan, turquoise, brick red and most noticeable,  purple.  It was certainly a bold choice and very distinctive, but the wide use of colors had the ferry earning the    somewhat dubious nickname of the "clown boat."      Further improvements over the  last few years have included the installation of an elevator,  security system, WiFi and as of the summer of 2009, new exterior paint.      The former queen of the Winslow run was displaced by the newer and larger Tacoma and Wentachee.  She moved one run north to the Kingston-Edmonds route  where she is now assigned permanently, working alongside her near cousin, the M/V Puyallup.
The Spokane ditched her 70's interior in the 1990's.  The refurbished cabin took many by surprise for its bold use color.  The cabins new fittings turned out to be far superior to their predecessors, however.  Photos courtesy of Matt Masuoka.
				Pulling away from the Edmonds dock at full speed, the Spokane makes another crossing to Kingston.  Photo courtesy of Gloria Mairs.
		Left, Ferry enthusiast Khris LaPlante caught this dramatic photo of the Spokane as a storm rolled  into  Puget Sound.  Right,  tan, turquois, apricot, black and the only purple you'll find in the fleet make up the Spokane's interior.  The colorful ferry has been nicknamed the "Clown Boat" by commuters.  Photo courtesy of I.S. Black.
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