Historic ferry may be too fragile to leave Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. — Once an icon of Puget Sound, the ferry Kalakala is in such fragile shape it may not withstand being evicted from a Tacoma moorage and could have to be scrapped.

Agencies concerned with the vessel say it's past saving, but owner Steve Rodrigues disagrees. Even though he says the cost of the vessel has left him homeless, he's still committed to restoring the Kalakala to its former glory.

The News Tribune reports the owner of the moorage on the Hylebos Waterway has an eviction lawsuit pending in Pierce County Superior Court. Authorities worry that if the 276-foot ship sinks, it would block the waterway.

The sleek, silver ferry sailed on Puget Sound from 1935 to 1967. No one has come up with the money to restore it.