SEATTLE — Washington State Ferries sold two decommissioned vessels for $100,000 each to a buyer who had plans to tow the boats to South America this month. But the move did not happen.
Now, there is more fallout from the ferry tow that went wrong.
"This could have been a disaster,” said Rich Shively, the executive director of Seattle Seafarers Center, a nonprofit operating on a mission to care for seafarers in Puget Sound.
The tugboat called Wycliffe had a working crew onboard. "Four crew members from Peru, Ecuador, Panama,” said Cyrus Donato with the International Transport Workers’ Federation.
The crew was supposed to tow two decommissioned Washington State Ferries to Ecuador, but their equipment malfunctioned, leaving a crew using work visas without a job.
Immigration agents arrived this week and sent the crew home, according to Julia Cooper, the director of operations for Seattle Seafarers Center.
"Now that they didn't have a contract, they didn't have a right to be there, according to CBP,” Cooper said.
Cooper said it was the latest on a list of problems, noting that the crew first reached out prior to the ferry tow with concerns, that included a lack of supplies.
"The owner said he was providing provisions every week, but the crew had a big list of things that they requested from us,” said Cooper. "We helped with a couple medical issues as well."
"As it evolved, the most concerning situation is they hadn't been paid properly,” said Shively.
Donato said he became aware of issues in October of 2023.
"In this case, if you know, as these foreign seafarers are coming in, they don't necessarily have the same access to legal restrictions or legal protections that most U.S. banners are afforded. So, they're in a very sort of precarious or vulnerable situation,” said Donato.
Cooper said the crew are now on their way home with the money they earned.
"I am glad that the owner eventually paid, it seems like the majority of the wages, they were due,” said Cooper.
The owner of the tugboat denies any wrongdoing. By phone, the owner said the allegations are not true.