EVERGREEN STATE

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Ferry auctioned in Tacoma

The former Washington state ferry 'Evergreen State' that has been docked at the Port of Olympia for more than two years has a potential new owner after a Vancouver man bid $290,000 for it during an auction in Tacoma on Nov 17, 2020. The bidding, which started at $50,000, took place in the lobby of U.S. District Court and quickly became a two-man show between Lematta and Noah Israel of Kingston. The winning bid of $290,000 was just under the $300,000 the former owner paid the state in 2017 for the ferry. That owner, who docked the vessel at the port, eventually defaulted on his bills and was later sued in federal court by the port, which ultimately triggered the recent auction. After emerging as the winning bidder, Lematta needed to pay his bid in full by 4 p.m. or put down at least 10% . A 10% down payment would give him three days to come up with the full amount. The auction was attended by more observers than bidders, including port commissioners Joe Downing and Bill McGregor as well as Len Faucher, the port’s marine terminal director. The next step for the port was to meet the buyer. The goal was to move the vessel off the dock and to try to do that as safely and quickly as possible.

Arrested decommissioned ferry to be auctioned

The 'Evergreen State' is to go on the block in a U.S. Marshal’s auction. Built in 1954 and retired in 2015, the vessel is now named 'Dream' and was bought from Washington State Ferries in 2017 with the new owner, Jones Broadcasting, reportedly having plans to move it to the Caribbean. The decommissioned ferry has been at the Port of Olympia’s marine terminal since April 2018 and on Sep 15, 2020, it was arrested by the U.S. Marshal at the request of the port in conjunction with a federal court action by the port for unpaid moorage. The Port of Olympia asserted a lien against the ferry for nearly $67,000 in unpaid dockage and fees. The last payment was received from the owner was in January. The port issued a 90-day notice of seizure in late March, which dictated a deadline of June 25, 2020 to settle up or risk further action by the Port. After the June 25 date, the Port continued to work with the vessel owner while he entertained potential buyers. Those efforts did not work out. On Nov 17, 2020, at 11:30 a.m., the U.S. Marshal will sell the ship “as is where is” to the highest bidder. Bidding starts at $50,000, no cash, payment by certified check to U.S. Marshals Service by 4.00 p.m. on day of sale. Auction attendees must wear masks and maintain 6 feet social distance. Live previews will be available at the Port of Olympia on Nov 9 and 10.

Port of Olympia close to becoming owner of abandoned ferry

The Port of Olympia is a step closer to becoming the owner of the former Washington state ferry 'Evergreen State' which has been moored at the port for two years. Greg Jones, the ferry’s owner who operates a business on the East Coast known as Jones Broadcasting, made his last payment to the port in early January 2020. The port later issued a notice of delinquency and seized the vessel on Feb. 25. Jones has until June 25 to pay the port about $32,000 for operations and labour. If the debt isn’t paid by June 25, the vessel is considered abandoned, and the port commission can authorize a public sale. If the ferry doesn’t sell, or it’s not removed from the premises, or if other arrangements aren’t made, the title of the vessel will revert to the port within 10 days of the public sale. The ferry arrived at the port in April 2018 for what was expected to be a two month layberth at the marine terminal, Faucher said. Instead, it became two years of inaction. The owner had periodic hiccups with payments to the port, but did pay the port about $80,000 through early January. Jones also tried to sell the vessel on eBay in early February, but that sale fell through.