Seattle-Bremerton Ferry
Encyclopedia
The Seattle-Bremerton ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound
between Seattle and Bremerton, Washington
. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system
, currently the largest ferry system in the United States.
. The sternwheeler Bailey Gatzert
, once considered one of the most prestigious vessels to operate on Puget Sound
and the Columbia River
, was converted to an automobile ferry and as such became the first ferry to run on the Seattle-Bremerton route. Another vessel to run on the route was the unique “streamlined” ferry Kalakala.
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
between Seattle and Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
, currently the largest ferry system in the United States.
History
The Seattle-Bremerton ferry was once known as the "Navy Yard Route”. Before ferry service, the route was served by steamships and steamboats, such as the Inland FlyerInland Flyer
Inland Flyer was a passenger steamboat that ran on Puget Sound from 1898 to 1916. From 1910 to 1916 this vessel was known as the Mohawk. The vessel is notable as the first steamer on Puget Sound to use oil fuel...
. The sternwheeler Bailey Gatzert
Bailey Gatzert (sternwheeler)
The Bailey Gatzert was a famous sternwheel steamboat that ran on the Columbia River and Puget Sound from the 1890s to the 1920s. She was named after Bailey Gatzert, an early businessman and mayor of Seattle...
, once considered one of the most prestigious vessels to operate on Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
and the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, was converted to an automobile ferry and as such became the first ferry to run on the Seattle-Bremerton route. Another vessel to run on the route was the unique “streamlined” ferry Kalakala.