Seattle

If you have ever wanted to own an iconic Washington state ferry, now may be your last chance to buy one until the 2030s. There are two sizes available with no minimum bid — the decommissioned 144-car Hyak and the 87-car Klahowya.

But before you get carried away with dreams of a palatial waterfront fixer-upper, or opening a floating restaurant, or making a quick buck off the scrap metal, be aware of the scrutiny you stand to receive.

“It’s more challenging than most people would have guessed,” said John Vezina, the deputy head of the state ferry system. “We’re not going to sign off on anything that isn’t ironclad that it can work.”

The Hyak and Klahowya have been sitting on the market unsold for more than a year since the state terminated a prior sales contract with an Ecuadorian middleman in summer 2024.

Steps to complete a purchase, he explained, include getting a Coast Guard-approved plan for towing and a Department of Ecology sign-off.