The new, 150-passenger catamaran, the Rachel Marie, captained by Tara Rochester, left Seacrest Park's new water taxi dock on Alki for Pier 50 in downtown Seattle at about 1pm, Sunday, April 11.

The ship was filled and had to turn away passengers. King County Executive Dow Constantine and others spoke at a celebration to open the season for the service. He hopes this will be the "last season opening" of the taxi and that it will operate year-round.

The Rachel Marie is a 77-foot catamaran that has capacity for 150 passengers with a crew of three. The vessel can carry 18 bicycles. With a cruising speed of 24 knots, the Rachel Marie crosses between West Seattle and downtown Seattle in about 10 mintues.

The vessel’s interior features a combination of theater-style seating, bench seats with tables, and facing seats. Some outdoor seating is available on the upper deck. The Rachel Marie has an air conditioning/heating system and restrooms.

The vessel has two 900-horsepower propulsion engines that meet Tier 1 pollution standards and is equipped with two radar systems, a GPS plotter, a depth sounder, and an automated information system transponder.

The new dock at Seacrest Pier has seen some major improvement in preparation for this year. It features an accessible gangway with a non-slip surface, finger piers for kayaks, and a 70-foot section of dock permitting more room for the water taxi.

According to the county concrete was chosen because it is strong and durable and offers several environmental advantages:

* Requires fewer piles, so there is less disturbance of the bottom during construction.
* Reduces the leaching of toxic chemicals used to treat wood.
* Increases hard-surface habitat for marine organisms.

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR SLIDE SHOW