MV Kirkland

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MV Kirkland moored at Marina Park Dock, Kirkland, Washington.

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MV Kirkland motoring rapidly along the Lake Washington Ship Canal, seen here from West Montlake Park, Seattle.

The MV Kirkland is a former car ferry with a unique Pacific Northwest history. Originally known as the Tourist II, is a 1924 wooden-hulled car ferry that has served passengers all over the Pacific Northwest. Originally, it took passengers across the Columbia River, with a dock in Astoria, Oregon. Currently, it serves as a tour boat for Argosy Cruises on Lake Washington, near Seattle. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

The vessel spent most of its early career on the Columbia River. Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, the US Navy commandeered the vessel to lay mines at the mouth of the river. The ferry was moved from Astoria, Oregon to Pierce County, Washington in 1967 and renamed the Islander of Pierce County. It worked on Puget Sound for many years, but eventually its wooden-hull design was overshadowed by vessels with more modern steel-hull designs.

In 1996, new private owners refurbished the vessel, adding two full-service bars, a galley, and 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, making the main deck unique among vessels in the Northwest. The vessel is listed on the Washington Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places. In the summer, the Kirkland departs Marina Dock in Kirkland for cruises of Lake Washington.

References

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