Field Research Assistant Luis Barrantes, pictured here, will be making observations approximately 3 times per week over the next few months. He will be traveling to a network of observation sites in Rich Passage using an inflatable boat.

Designed to investigate the feasibility of adding passenger only fast ferry service between Seattle and Bremerton, the Fast Ferry Research Project was initiated in June 2004. It is funded under a federal grant program administered by the Federal Transportation Administration and is being conducted under the direction of Pacific International Engineering, PLLC (PI Engineering) of Edmonds.

The Rich Passage Passenger Only Fast Ferry Study is aimed at understanding the shorelines of Rich Passage and their response to fast ferry wakes and other processes. This study is seen as paramount to determining the feasibility of any fast ferries that might be proposed.

Over the next several months, engineers, scientists and their data collection equipment will be very visible throughout the passage. Beach profiles have been surveyed and sediment characterized in terms of size and stratification. Observations of exposed bedrock and the condition of existing bulkheads along the route are ongoing. Biological monitoring began in early January and will continue during experimental trials of a low-wake vessel beginning in February 2005.

As part of this study, shoreline impact prediction tools will be developed on the basis of a scientific understanding of vessel wake-generation, propagation, and impacts to shorelines. This part of the evaluation will include collection of a large quantity of data on the water and on the shoreline.

“PI Engineering is committed to having as much property owner input as possible and citizens are encouraged to offer comments regarding this study and the upcoming trials,” commented Bryan McConaughy, of BMcConsulting, a partner in the project.

Further information on the study can be obtained from the project web site developed by PI Engineering at: www.pugetsoundfastferry.com or contacting Bryan McConaughy at: BMcConsult@comcast.net, (206) 953-6026 or Marie Garrett at (509) 669-1800, marieg@piengr.com.

PI Engineering has developed a wake propagation model that can be used to predict vessel wake parameters at the shoreline along the ferry route. These state-of-the-art tools will be used to evaluate potential effects of alternative fast ferry operations on shoreline erosion and sediment transport. The trials will enable a detailed assessment of potential shoreline erosion while providing a tool to evaluate shore protection solutions.

“Our goal is to develop tools and data for prediction of wake impacts to shorelines and to determine mitigation requirements in the event that all impacts cannot be minimized. The tools and data can then be applied to evaluate potential low wake candidate vessels and therefore help in the screening of potential ferries,” explained Philip D. Osborne, M.Sc., Ph.D, of PI Engineering.

The fundamental difference between this project and previous attempts to introduce passenger only fast ferry service through Rich Passage is that the hull selection process will directly and primarily depend on satisfying shoreline impact and mitigation criteria as well as more conventional vessel design criteria.

A state-of-the-art foil-supported catamaran designed by Teknicraft of New Zealand is being built by All American Marine, Inc. of Bellingham WA. This experimental vessel will be made available for trials here between January and May 2005.

“The availability of the Teknicraft boat is a significant opportunity to run in-situ tests with a state-of-the-art low wake hull to provide highly detailed data for verifying our predictive tools. The data from this series of trials will be compared directly with historical data from previous fast ferries, both in terms of wake characteristics and potential shoreline impacts,” said Osborne.

The extended trials (2 to 3 months) are designed to simulate the frequency of a commercial ferry operation (approximately 8 round-trip runs per day). During the planned experimental trials in Rich Passage, the M/V Spirit will be ballasted with up to 3200 gallons (20,000 lbs) of water to simulate the weight and distribution of a full load of 149 passengers. The goal is to have a boat that can carry up to 150 passengers to Seattle in 30 minutes or less in service within the next three years.

The planned evaluations include:

• Measurements of wakes, water levels, and wave orbital velocities at up to 3 locations near the shoreline in Rich Passage.
• Repetitive beach profile monitoring at 12 indicator sites.
• Bi-weekly observations of beach sediments, beach characteristics, beach elevations relative to structures, eave-structure interactions, and potential impacts to beaches.
• Vertical aerial photography of wakes to determine planview shape of the wakes at a range of speeds.

   In addition to the community meetings held in October, the project team has been in regular contact with residents who own properties on which long term monitoring and data collection sites are located. Owners of these properties are notified each time monitoring survey teams require access to properties for beach profile surveys, sediment and beach substrate characterization, and habitat surveys.

Observations of beach sediments, exposed bedrock and bulkheads continues and will be intensified in the coming weeks. As this program is expanded during the upcoming trials, members of the project team will be in contact with residents to determine interest in having their properties included in the monitoring effort.

The results of the study will be available to any individuals and organizations with an interest in fast ferry service between Seattle and Bremerton in addition to statewide and national interest in providing environmentally benign fast ferry service.

To help gather information in a systematic way, a Beach Observation Data Sheet is available at www.pugetsoundfastferry.com/contact.htm.