MV ''Skagit'' was a ''Skagit Kalama''-class

passenger ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

originally operated by

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals loc ...

(WSF) from 1989–2009 and then in

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

until her sinking in

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...

in July 2012.

Operational history

''Skagit'' and were the only two ships of their class in the WSF fleet. Together they served on the

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Vashon Island Vashon is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10, ...

route (see King County Water Taxi).Route information
WSF, WSDOT In 2006, WSF was directed to end its passenger-only service, and in 2011 ''Skagit'' and ''Kalama'' were sold and transported to

to provide service between the mainland and

Sinking

On July 18, 2012, the vessel sank near

Chumbe Island Chumbe Island is a small privately owned island a few kilometres off the main island of Zanzibar, known for its ecological innovation and exceptional coral reefs. In 1992 the fringing reef west of Chumbe Island was officially closed to fishing, ...

while in ferry service in

. After departing Dar es Salaam bound for Unguja Island (Zanzibar) with more than 250 people on board, the ship struggled in rough seas and sank approximately from Unguja. At least 146 were rescued while as many as 150 were still missing after a day of rescue operations.Toll from former Vashon ferry sinking in Tanzania could hit 150
, Seattle Times, Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Accessed 15 August 2012. Early reports attributed the disaster to high winds and overloading of passengers. The ship was certified for a maximum capacity of 250 yet officials said it had 290 aboard at the time.

Outcome

The Zanzibar government blamed the disaster on the ship operating over too long of a distance, and the island's transportation minister resigned. In addition, vessels had been warned not to make the crossing because of the high seas, according to Tanzania's chief meteorologist. After ''Skagit''s loss, Zanzibar barred sister ship MV ''Kalama'' from operating and later "deleted" her and three other ferries from its list of sea vessels for safety reasons.

References

External links

* — Capital Television News Tanzania, October 11, 2012 Washington State Ferries vessels 1989 ships Maritime incidents in 2012 2012 in Tanzania Maritime incidents in Tanzania Ships built in New Orleans July 2012 events in Africa 2012 disasters in Africa {{ferry-stub

Operational history

Sinking

Outcome

See also

References

External links