Albion Ferries Sold to BC Buyer

December 30, 2011

Marine Transport firm takes over Kuleet and Klatawa

A BC company, Tidal Towing, is the new owner of the two Albion Ferries. The MV Kulleet and MV Klatawa had been tied up at the Albion Docks since going out of service in July, 2009, when the Golden Ears Bridge opened, and while numerous tentative bids and inquiries had been received from prospective buyers, none had turned into a firm offer.

Tidal, a marine transport company, made a firm “as-is-where-is” offer just before Christmas, through Harlow Marine International, Inc. The purchase price is $400 thousand for the two vessels. It has not disclosed the future use for the two boats, but it is noted that the price is considerably higher than “scrap value”. Tidal has not disclosed its plans for future use of the ferries.

TransLink had considered selling the boats as scrap if they were threatening to become an environmental or economic liability; however, that point had not yet been reached.

The Kulleet and Klatawa came into service in the 1980s, replacing the original Albion Ferry, the T’Lagunna, which ran the service from its inception in July 1957 until 1985.

In an interesting but unrelated coincidence, the T’Lagunna was raised and relocated earlier in December from the bottom of Howe Sound, where it had been disposed after going out of service.