326 possible names were submitted by the public for the new water taxis set to enter service next year for both Vashon Island and West Seattle and the King County Ferry District has narrowed them down to 11. They are hoping to get the public to vote.

The two new vessels are currently being built by All American Marine in Bellingham, WA.

The Vashon options include Sally Fox, Betty MacDonald, Lisabeula, Barbara Durham, and Lucy Gerand.

The KCFD offered these explanations:

Sally Fox fought tirelessly as a passionate advocate for passenger-only ferry service to Vashon. She organized the community and fought at the forefront of the movement to protect and expand this valuable service. Fox passed away in 2007 from esophageal cancer, but her spirit lives on through the results of her activism.

Betty MacDonald was a prominent author, who notably wrote books such as Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and The Egg and I. Her humorous, autobiographical tales are still cherished today. The farm where McDonald wrote still exists on Vashon Island. Even after her tragic death by cancer at age 49, MacDonald still has a large, adoring fanbase to carry out her legacy.

Lisabeula is a park on the island that has a unique story behind the origin of its name. When trying to determine the name for a new post office on Vashon, the officer at the Post Office Department looked to two employees in the office, named Eliza and Beulah. He decided to combine the two names, resulting in Lisabeula, the name of the new post office and later, a waterfront beach park.

Barbara Durham was the first female chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court. She was highly respected by her colleagues. She served as a judge in Washington state courts at the district, superior, appellate, and supreme levels. She grew up on Vashon and graduated from Vashon High School in 1960.

Lucy Gerand was a Native American, longtime Islander who was one of the first to provide stories about her life on the island. She dug clams with her husband in Quartermaster Harbor and took the ferry to Tacoma where she sold them at the farmer’s market. She died of tuberculosis in 1929.

For the West Seattle vessel, the public can choose from Doc Maynard, Princess Angeline, Cobain Watertrain, Lushootseed, Lynn Campbell, or Dixy Lee Ray.

Doc Maynard was a Seattle pioneer and doctor. As one of the primary founders of Seattle, Maynard’s friendship with Chief Sealth inspired him to propose the name of the city be named after his Duwamish friend.

Princess Angeline was the eldest daughter of Chief Sealth and was a well-known and highly-respected figure in Seattle. She was the last living descendent of Chief Sealth, and did laundry and sold baskets, while living in a waterfront cabin near what is today known as Pike Place Market.

Cobain Watertrain is a name that might not require as much of an explanation. This name is a tribute to the legendary Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the grunge band Nirvana.

Lushootseed refers to the language spoken by many Salish tribes, including the Duwamish.

Lynn Campbell started the Spring Street Water Taxi in 1949, which ran crew and supplies to ships in Elliott Bay. He then started tours a couple years later and added Seattle Harbor Tours, which was eventually renamed to Argosy Cruises. Campbell offered deckhand and bartending positions for women and welcomed gay charter cruises at a time when venues were harder to come by for the community. This includes the Queen City Cruise (Tacky Tourist Cruise) which has its 24th annual sailing in August.

Dixy Lee Ray was not only the first woman to be elected governor of Washington, but she was also a marine biologist, associate professor at the University of Washington, and director of Seattle’s Pacific Science Center.

The voting opportunity is open now and will close on August 15. To vote, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TTPBNZQ, or call 206-477-3840.