Alki-Manchester Ferry
Encyclopedia
The Alki-Manchester ferry was a ferry route in Washington State that from 1925 to 1936 ran between Alki Point and Manchester, Washington
across Puget Sound
.
(PSN) and Kitsap County Transportation Co. (KCTC). The Crosby line procured a ferry route certificate from the state of Washington, built a dock at each terminus, and placed the new wooden-hulled double-ended motor ferry Crosline (151 ft (46.02 m) long, 466 tons) on the route.
A rate war
ensued between the Crosby Line on one side, and PSN and KCTC on the other. The Alki-Manchester route was the shortest distance across the Sound, and this gave a competitive advantage to the Crosby Line, which forced sharp cuts in the rates of PSN and KCTC.
as the Seattle starting point of the route.
In May 1934, during the strike of the Ferryboatmen's union, the Alki-Manchester route was one of only three that maintained a regular schedule.
Manchester, Washington
Manchester is a census-designated place in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,958 at the 2000 census.-History:...
across Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
.
History
Ferry service on the Alki Beach-Manchester route was inaugurated on April 12, 1925 by Crosby Direct Line Ferry Co.. The Crosby Line intended to mount a challenge to the then dominant ferry companies on Puget Sound, which were the Puget Sound Navigation CompanyPuget Sound Navigation Company
The Puget Sound Navigation Company was founded by Joshua Green in 1913. It operated a fleet of steamboats and ferries on Puget Sound in Washington and the Georgia Strait in British Columbia...
(PSN) and Kitsap County Transportation Co. (KCTC). The Crosby line procured a ferry route certificate from the state of Washington, built a dock at each terminus, and placed the new wooden-hulled double-ended motor ferry Crosline (151 ft (46.02 m) long, 466 tons) on the route.
A rate war
Price war
Price war is a term used in economic sector to indicate a state of intense competitive rivalry accompanied by a multi-lateral series of price reduction. One competitor will lower its price, then others will lower their prices to match. If one of them reduces their price again, a new round of...
ensued between the Crosby Line on one side, and PSN and KCTC on the other. The Alki-Manchester route was the shortest distance across the Sound, and this gave a competitive advantage to the Crosby Line, which forced sharp cuts in the rates of PSN and KCTC.
Termination of service
The rate war ended in early 1926, when PSN bought the Crosby line. PSN continued the route until 1935 when the Alki dock washed out. Service on the route to Manchester was then shifted to Colman DockColman Dock
Colman Dock, also called Pier 52 is an important ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal used by the Washington State Ferry system, and is still called “Colman Dock”-Location:...
as the Seattle starting point of the route.
In May 1934, during the strike of the Ferryboatmen's union, the Alki-Manchester route was one of only three that maintained a regular schedule.