A brand new Kitsap Transit fast ferry, Lady Swift, was delivered July 26 and is expected to begin service on the Bremerton to Seattle route in August.

The vessel is Kitsap Transit’s third Rich Passage-class fast ferry from All American Marine, the other two being The Reliance and Rich Passage 1. The addition of Lady Swift will make it possible for a two-boat service on the Bremerton to Seattle route.

The 118-passenger aluminum catamaran has a service speed of 37 knots. Kitsap Transit’s marine crews will need to complete training on the vessel and mandatory U.S. Coast Guard paperwork must be completed before the boat can enter service.

Lady Swift and her sister ship, Reliance, were built by All American Marine in Bellingham under a $15 million contract, approved by Kitsap Transit’s board in 2018. Reliance was delivered back in April and entered service in June.

These two vessels are upgraded versions of Kitsap Transit’s Rich Passage 1, a prototype vessel designed by New Zealand-based Teknicraft, that have been operating the Bremerton to Seattle route since July 2017.

Lady Swift and Reliance were built with a wet exhaust instead of the dry exhaust design used by the Rich Passage 1, in an effort to reduce sound from the vessel. Lady Swift also has additional sound dampening materials that help reduce noise in the cabin.

In mid-August, Rich Passage 1 is scheduled to be taken out of service for maintenance and application of vessel graphics that are already installed on Reliance and Lady Swift. Once Rich Passage 1 returns to service, Reliance will be taken out of service to install sound dampening materials and complete routine maintenance work.

When Reliance comes back to service, Kitsap Transit plans to pilot a two-boat service on the Bremerton to Seattle route.