Kalakala Black Ball Years, 1935 - 1951

As the new flagship of the Black Ball Line (a.k.a. Puget Sound Navigation), the Kalakala was a workhorse and also a social boat. PSN had envisioned the ferry to be used as an excursion vessel as well as a ferry. Shortly after starting her career, the Kalakala embarked on "Moonlight Cruises" on Puget Sound.

Joe Bowen & the Flying Bird Orchestra -
Asahel Curtis photograph, Washington State Historical Society

She had her own band, "The Flying Bird Orchestra" which made live broadcasts from the ferry (the first of their kind). Passengers danced to the swing music of the Flying Bird Orchestra from 8:30-12:30 p.m. for only $1.00. People met their future spouses on these festive cruises, and life-long memories were made dancing to the sounds of Benny Goodman and Glen Miller as the Kalakala cruised aimlessly around Puget Sound under star-filled skies. For those few hours, life aboard the Kalakala relegated the Depression to the background, and gave people a break from the stress of those hard times.

The Kalakala was, however, first and foremost, a ferry. She quickly became a workhorse on the Sound, completing thousands of trips from Seattle to Bremerton. After the outbreak of World War II, the ferry's role became critical, carrying workers to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. PSNS shipbuilding was in full swing after the navy lost most of its fleet at Pearl Harbor.

The Kalakala became known as the "Work Horse of Puget Sound" during WWII
George Bayless Collection

The Kalakala's distinctive personality

Few who spend any time on ferries or ships would argue that they all seem to acquire their own distinctive traits and habits. The Kalakala was noted for her design, certainly, but also for her general reliability and seaworthiness. She was also noted, however, for her teeth-rattling vibration. Apparently her engines had not been properly aligned, and the ferry shook like a 6.0 earthquake the entire way across the Sound. Running at full speed, it became necessary to fill coffee cups only half full in the galley to prevent spillage. The situation was remedied a bit in 1955 when a 5-blade propeller replaced her original 4-blade prop. Vibration was reduced by about 40%, but the Kalakala shook her entire life.

She also took a liking into running into things, which seemed to be the only carry over from her days as the Peralta. Her first accident took place in November of 1936 when she rammed the Chippewa. Most of the blame could be placed on human error (and, some would say, the Captain of the Chippewa) over confusion from the ferries' whistle signals. Proving the strength of her construction, the Kalakala punched a 40- foot hole in the Chippewa's wooden superstructure, demolishing 5 cars in the process. The Kalakala was hardly damaged, suffering from a few broken windows and dents.

The Chippewa after colliding with the Kalakala

In 1938, her engines refused to back down as she approached Colman dock. With timbers flying, she smashed into the dock. A six foot hole was punched into the ferry, and ten people were slightly injured. In 1943 while cruising through fog, she rammed into a barge and knocked two railroad cars into the Sound. In all fairness, it should be noted that this was in the days before radar, and the method of navigation in fog was to sound the whistle, listen for the reply, then alter course according to where the echo bounced back from. In 1949 her engines didn't back down again, and she rammed Colman Dock at full speed. According to witnesses, the ferry looked as if she had no intention of stopping. There was only slight damage sustained to the Kalakala, and she missed only one day of service.

Toward the end of her career with Puget Sound Navigation the Kalakala became noted for another milestone. In addition to her historic status as the first (and only) streamlined ferry, in the world she was chosen to be the first commercial vessel to receive radar after the technology was declassified: Raytheon license #001.

The KALAKALA receives the first commercial radar system in 1946.
Seattle Post Intelligencer collection, Museum of History and Industry

The end of the Black Ball Line

After WWII, Puget Sound Navigation found itself experiencing a myriad of problems: traffic from the money-making navy yard route to Bremerton had been cut in half, and the cost of union labor was rising. PSN, in an effort to remain profitable, approached the state commission that regulated ferry fares for 30% increase. Alexander Peabody warned that if PSN didn't receive the increase, he would tie up the ferries. The commission approved only a 10% increase. True to his word, Peabody promptly tied up all of PSN ferries, bringing ferry travel across Puget Sound to a virtual standstill.

An enraged public cried out for public ownership of the system. Peabody refused to sell. The ferries went back to work, but the State began plans for taking over ferry traffic on Puget Sound. Finally the State of Washington realized it was nearly impossible to build its own fleet from the ground up, and that the quickest solution was to purchase PSN. Still ambivalent to the sale, PSN finally relented and sold out to the State of Washington in December of 1950. Almost the entire Black Ball fleet was transferred to the new Washington State Ferries.

In 1951, Puget Sound Navigation (the Black Ball line) ceased to exist on the waters of Puget Sound. In July of 1951, the distinctive flag of the company was lowered, and the new flag of Washington State Ferries was raised above the Kalakala for the first time. The Kalakala no longer worked for her builders, but her story did not end there. She continued to sail, only now it was under Washington State ownership.

Contributed by S. J. Pickens