Why did WSDOT choose the Island Home design?
The vessel design is well-suited to the unique conditions of the Port Townsend/Keystone route and meets all the baseline performance requirements established in the Port Townsend/Keystone Vessel Planning Study (December 2007). The study looked at over fourteen vessel options and eight different propulsion systems for vessels that met the baseline criteria for operating in Keystone Harbor. The Island Home design rose to the top as one of the preferred options to replace the retired Steel Electric ferries. It is a proven design by a local firm, Elliott Bay Design Group, allowing WSDOT to accelerate the design phase and begin construction as soon as possible.
