The Rachel Marie

The Rachel Marie is a 77-foot catamaran that has capacity for 172 passengers with a crew of three. The vessel can carry 18 bicycles. With a cruising speed of 24 knots, the Rachel Marie crosses between West Seattle and downtown Seattle in about 10 minutes.

The vessel’s interior features a combination of theater-style seating, bench seats with tables, and facing seats. Some outdoor seating is available on the upper deck. The Rachel Marie has an air conditioning/heating system and restrooms.

The vessel has two 900-horsepower propulsion engines that meet Tier 1 pollution standards and is equipped with two radar systems, a GPS plotter, a depth sounder, and an automated information system transponder.

She is inspected annually by the U.S. Coast Guard. The King County Ferry District is leasing the MV Rachel Marie from Four Seasons Marine Services for the West Seattle/Downtown Seattle route.

Specifications

  • Length: 77 ft.
  • Beam: 29 ft.
  • Draft (deepest): 5 ft.
  • Weight: 51 tons

Capacity

  • Diesel oil: 1,100 gals.
  • Potable water: 250 gals.
  • Holding tank (sewage): 200 gals.
  • Holding tank (bilge water): 50 gals

At cruising speed, the Rachel Marie consumes approximately 70 gallons of fuel per hour.

King County Ferry District
King County Water Taxi photo: vessel at dock in downtown Seattle

The Rachel Marie served for one year as the Bremerton-Seattle foot ferry, for one year in Oahu, Hawaii (with the Melissa Ann) as a commuter ferry, and most recently in Juneau, Alaska where she served as a back-up boat for taking workers to a remote silver mine.