Foss Maritime closes Seattle shipyard that employed 115 – The Seattle Times
“Foss Maritime closes Seattle shipyard that employed 115 – The Seattle Times” https://www.seattletimes.com/business/foss-maritime-closes-seattle-shipyard-that-employed-115/?amp=1
Wonder what’s going to become of the FOSS #300 steam barge crane. Good little shipyard that serviced many other vessels besides FOSS.
I suppose that the Ewing street office and dock will be next…
First sailed out of there in 1965 as OS aboard the Miki Miki (twin screw) Christine Foss towing an oil barge out of Dutch Harbor, AK. I was 15 YO. How time flies…
2 Likes
One thing that won’t happen is this choice site on the Ship Canal becoming condos/ yacht moorage.
Foss tried to redevelop the land about ten years ago to do just that. City wouldn’t let them. Much of the Ship Canal is strictly zoned for maritime industrial purposes. Very wise ordinance, otherwise yachts and condos would take over quickly.
3 Likes
It sounded like they were going to keep it open for their own fleets maintenance?
Shipyard employees will continue to receive salary, benefits, and an average of overtime wages through the end of the year, the company said.
Don’t know if that was contractual or not, but if not it seems refreshingly generous in this day and age.
It’s a federal law, not purely philanthropic … the WARN ACT was opposed by the Republicans of course.
According to Maritime Executive they are closing it down completely and having their boats worked on at other yards. Not the first shipyard they closed. I didn’t know they had one in Oregon, which they shutdown in 2018. From the article:
…Foss did not provide a detailed explanation for the closure, but sources in the Seattle ship repair industry suggest that a long-running labor dispute over pension benefits played a role. In a statement, the firm said that it had pursued options for selling the business segment, but these "ultimately did not materialize due to insufficient market interest.”…
Our facility is just down the canal from the Foss Shipyard. While Foss turned out excellent work, other yards were just as good, were perhaps less expensive, and had other attractions.
The old MINI shipyard in Tacoma was great. The joke about MINI: You could leave a $100 bill on the engine room watch desk, and when the boat came back from shipyard a month later there would be a note next to the bill: “SOMEBODY LOST THIS”. Bought out by Vigor though…
Two shipyards left in Lake Union: Lake Union Dry Dock, at 102 years old the grand dame of the lake, and something of a waterfront museum. (Scattered around the edges of place are old steam-powered rivet punches, lathes, and plate benders).
Also, Northlake Shipyard. A sort DIY place for work boat owners. They do the lifting, you supply the welders/fitters/machinists
For my money, the reigning queen of shipyards in Washington: Dakota Creek in Anacortes. Great craftsmanship at a good price.
2 Likes
The yard in Oregon was in Rainier. It small but nimble yard. They built their dolphin class tugs their ( 10-14 tugs). They built a few pilot boats that operate in the Columbia river and also Foss’s Arctic Class tugs. I believe the yard is now owned by JT Marine but could not find anything online to support that.
1 Like