Tourist #2 1924

Drawing courtesy of Johan Iversen.

Cliff West snapped this photo of the Tourist #2 approaching the dock in the twilight years of the ferry system's run on the Columbia River.

The ferry was built in 1924, of  all wood. measuring 110' long, 36' breadth,  and with a  gross tonnage of 95.  She waspowered with 320 HP Atlas-Imperial diesel engine.    The Tourist #2 had capacity of 20 cars & 155 passengers.         In 1941, right after Pearl Harbor attack, the Army commandeered the ferry to employ it for laying mines in the lower Columbia River.  Later the Army used it as a ferry, running between Fort Canby and Fort Stevens.  At war's end, the Army sold the  Tourist 2 back to Elfving for $36,000.  The State of Oregon took over the ferry in 1946.      After the Astoria Bridge was built, the ferry was moved from Oregon to Pierce County, Washington in 1967 and renamed the Islander.     The  ferry worked on Puget Sound for many years, but eventually its wooden-hull design became expensive to maintain and the ferry was retired and sold.      She was purchased by Argosy Cruises of Seattle in 1996 and extensively refurbished.  Renamed the Kirkland, the ferry is now a popular cruise vessel for Argosy.

Looking very much like a toy boat, the Islander, ex-Tourist #2 is shown here in the days just before her retirement.  Photo courtesy of LB Bryce.

The old  Toruist # 2 sailing as the M/V Kirkland for  Argosy.  Photo Courtesy of Matt Masuoka. P.S.  Thanks to the efforts of ferry fan Cliff West, the Oregon Highway Department has corrected the status of the old Tourist #2 from "scapped" to "MV Kirkland."

Oregon Home Home