By Patrick Gallagher, Executive Director
Marine Exchange of Puget Sound
July 14, 2025
I waited a bit to cool off about Washington State NOT choosing a Washington shipyard to build out a new fleet of state ferries. For a week I sat here thinking a mantra: Washington Values, Florida Paychecks.
Washington Values, Florida Paychecks.
I’ve been wondering why nobody seems overly combative or pissed, and I honestly think it’s because we’re getting used to the Washington maritime industry getting screwed by this state. Gotta ask — when did Washington State decide that “Buy American” meant “Buy Anywhere But Washington?”
This State Has No Comprehensive Maritime Strategy
I get it – this is expensive, and there’s a lot of pressure to restore the long-neglected ferry system (Thanks, Inslee). I’m not certain I’d choose to shop at Whole Foods vs Costco either right now, but I have to ask – REALLY?
We play by Washington’s rules – higher wages, stricter environmental standards, premium real estate costs – and our reward? Watching our tax dollars sail to states that undercut us at every turn.
This is the first out-of-state ferry contract in 50 years, and (let’s be plain) we’re sending at least $714.5 million Washington State dollars to Florida while local shipbuilders get bypassed. I’m sitting here watching almost a billion of our dollars ship off to Florida, and I’ve got some questions.
And let’s be clear, Eastern Shipbuilding is a queen of cost overruns. Just take a hard look at the Coast Guard OPC project, and you’re looking at our future. Just think for a minute that the contracting officers should have been driving to Everett instead of flying to the Florida panhandle. Local has benefits that are impossible to measure.
The Big Dark vs. Florida Sunshine
We’re sending Washington money to a place that’s never seen a Puget Sound winter. They know nothing of The Big Dark, July flannel weather, salmon runs, Vitamin D deficiency. We’ve got the most kick-ass technology companies in the world, but we can’t manage to deliver contracts to local shipbuilders. We can code a billion-dollar app but can’t bid a competitive ferry.
So we operate in misty darkness for half the year, but apparently we’re supposed to compete in the bright Florida sunshine when it comes to pricing. I don’t want to get overly dramatic, but Sub Pop Records kept it local – why can’t ferry contracts?
Built for the Pacific Northwest, funded by the Pacific Northwest, constructed in the Gulf of America. Yeah, I’m pissed.
This Place Made Us Who We Are
I LOVE this place. I LOVE this industry here because this place and this water gave me everything I have.
We built the maritime economy that made the Pacific Northwest a global powerhouse. Seattle/Tacoma wouldn’t be Seattle/Tacoma without maritime. Then, we developed the environmental standards, workforce protections, and safety regulations that became the gold standard for the industry. As a relative outsider, I can verify that nobody does this better than us. Now we’re being penalized for our own success.
Every dollar we send to Florida is a dollar that won’t hire a Washington welder, support a local supplier, or strengthen our maritime infrastructure. I won’t pretend to understand the whole of economics, but fewer dollars on the waterfront means fewer happy hour beers and Taco Tuesdays. There will be fewer apprenticeships.
Fewer people will get married, and fewer people will have kids. Yeah, this is what this means.
We’re not just losing a contract – we’re funding the erosion of our own competitive advantage.
Time to Fight Back
This needs to stop. We need a comprehensive maritime strategy. We’ve needed it for a generation.
The question isn’t whether we can build these ferries. The question is whether we still want to.
I’m ready to scrap. I’m ready to defend what should be ours.
This is exactly why we need strong maritime advocacy in Olympia. Join us at the MXPS Annual Meeting on September 11th to discuss how we fight back.
Register for the Annual Meeting
The Marine Exchange of Puget Sound has been advocating for Washington’s maritime community since 1980. We provide 24/7 vessel tracking, industry intelligence, and policy advocacy to support safe, secure, and efficient maritime operations in the Pacific Northwest.
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