King County Dedicates New Water Taxi
King County Executive Dow Constantine and a host of other dignitaries were on hand recently for the dedication of the M/V Doc Maynard, a ferry built by Bellingham, Washington-based All American Marine.
The ferry is currently replacing the M/V Sally Fox, which was also built by All American and is being removed from service for scheduled warranty work. When Sally Fox is back in service, Doc Maynard will move to the Seattle-West Seattle route.
“This new boat – the first all-new water taxi from West Seattle to downtown in generations – will improve what is already a fast, reliable link for thousands of commuters,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said during a mid-September dedication ceremony. “Like its twin, the Sally Fox, the M/V Doc Maynard has highly efficient engines, uses cleaner-burning biodiesel, and can carry more passengers than the boat it is replacing.”
The M/V Doc Maynard is larger than the catamaran it’s replacing; the vessel carries 278 passengers. It also has indoor and outdoor seating, ADA accessible bathrooms and wheelchair tie-downs, space for 26 bicycles and video screens that will display safety, schedule and trip information.
Dock modifications are being planned to accommodate the larger vessel.
The Doc Maynard and Sally Fox both support King County’s climate change goals by using a 10 percent blend of homegrown biodiesel. By using biodiesel, each vessel is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 140 metric tons annually, the equivalent of powering 20 homes for a year.
