Wait for new WA ferries grows even longer with selection of Florida shipyard

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson celebrated the state’s award of a $715 million contract for three hybrid electric ferries in July as a milestone in his drive to improve the nation’s largest ferry system.

But under that contract, Washington State Ferries riders will wait a year longer than planned for a new plug-in vessel to bring some relief to the stressed-out system.

That’s because in exchange for a bid that was hundreds of millions of dollars less than a local competitor, the Florida-based firm Ferguson selected will have until 2030 to deliver the first of the three ferries.

Washington State Ferries urgently needs new boats to improve its reliability and restore service to pre-pandemic levels. This is the first time in more than 50 years that Washington has turned to an out-of-state s