Kalakala goes on sale for $1, but there's a catch
Anyone want to buy an old, rusty piece of Seattle history?
The Kalakala ferry – yes, that hunk of junk which sat on Lake Union for years – is up for sale. And for just a buck.
Of course the Kalakala, now in Tacoma and starting to sink, is much more than a disintegrating eyesore; it was once a symbol of Seattle maritime, a flagship of Puget Sound. The silver, art-deco ferry has seen much better days … and much worse ones.
Built in the 1920s, the Kalakala began serving Seattle as a ferry in 1935, according to HistoryLink.org. It sailed the Bremerton route for more than 30 years before it was auctioned off in 1967. That’s when its darkest days began, re-purposed in Alaska as a fish processing ship before being grounded in 1972 as a cannery.
There it remained, smelly and unseaworthy, until 1998. That’s when Seattle sculptor Peter Bevis bought the Kalakala and brought it back to Seattle. His efforts to restore – a multi-million dollar venture – ultimately failed, however, and by 2003 the rusted hulk was no longer welcome in Lake Union. It was sold to Steve Rodrigues, who took decrepit vessel to Neah Bay and then to Tacoma, where it currently sits.
Rodrigues also had a dream of restoring the Kalakala to its original condition. But the project’s budget has grown to nearly $50 million, according to the project’s website, and Rodrigues needs some help.
Or someone to just take it off his hands.
The $1 sale price, however, comes with a rather sizable catch. Rodriguez is seeking only a “qualified and motivated investor or buyer as alternatives to assure the full restoration of an incredible maritime historic ship with global social and cultural significances,” the website states. “Salvage companies not welcome!”
Seattlepi.com is a media partner of KOMO News.
The Kalakala ferry – yes, that hunk of junk which sat on Lake Union for years – is up for sale. And for just a buck.
Of course the Kalakala, now in Tacoma and starting to sink, is much more than a disintegrating eyesore; it was once a symbol of Seattle maritime, a flagship of Puget Sound. The silver, art-deco ferry has seen much better days … and much worse ones.
Built in the 1920s, the Kalakala began serving Seattle as a ferry in 1935, according to HistoryLink.org. It sailed the Bremerton route for more than 30 years before it was auctioned off in 1967. That’s when its darkest days began, re-purposed in Alaska as a fish processing ship before being grounded in 1972 as a cannery.
There it remained, smelly and unseaworthy, until 1998. That’s when Seattle sculptor Peter Bevis bought the Kalakala and brought it back to Seattle. His efforts to restore – a multi-million dollar venture – ultimately failed, however, and by 2003 the rusted hulk was no longer welcome in Lake Union. It was sold to Steve Rodrigues, who took decrepit vessel to Neah Bay and then to Tacoma, where it currently sits.
Rodrigues also had a dream of restoring the Kalakala to its original condition. But the project’s budget has grown to nearly $50 million, according to the project’s website, and Rodrigues needs some help.
Or someone to just take it off his hands.
The $1 sale price, however, comes with a rather sizable catch. Rodriguez is seeking only a “qualified and motivated investor or buyer as alternatives to assure the full restoration of an incredible maritime historic ship with global social and cultural significances,” the website states. “Salvage companies not welcome!”
Seattlepi.com is a media partner of KOMO News.
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