Gone beastly: Washington ferries renamed after the Seahawks

Passengers traveling on the Washington State Ferries during Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 2 will be boarding the “M/V Russell Wilson” or crossing Puget Sound on the “M/V Richard Sherman” to get back and forth between Bainbridge Island and Seattle.

January 31, 2014 2:18 pm

Gov. Jay Inslee has directed the ferries be named in honor of the Seattle Seahawks, who will be making their second appearance ever in the Super Bowl this weekend.

“We couldn’t be more proud of our Seahawks as they represent our state in the Super Bowl,” Inslee said. “We’ve already raised the 12th Man flag on each ferry, and this honorary name change is one more way for us to show our appreciation.”

The team has counted on a strong running game to carve out a path to victory. Now fans will be able to ride the M/V Marshawn Lynch and go #Beastmode roundtrip from the Kitsap Peninsula.

On the Bainbridge-Seattle route, the ferry M/V Wenatchee has been bestowed with the name M/V Richard Sherman, while the route’s other ferry, the M/V Tacoma, has been renamed the M/V Russell Wilson.

“Although the name change is symbolic, we think it is a fun way to show our support and give fans a chance to cheer on the ‘Hawks before they pull into port,” said Assistant Transportation Secretary David Moseley.

Each of the 22 vessels in the WSF fleet has named each one after the Seahawks starting offense and defense team members.

The other vessels and their new names:

M/V Cathlamet: “M/V Malcom Smith”

M/V Chelan: “M/V Zach Miller”

M/V Chetzemoka: “M/V J.R. Sweezy”

M/V Elwha: “M/V Chris Clemens”

M/V Evergreen State: “M/V Byron Maxwell”

M/V Hiyu: “M/V Breno Giacomini”

M/V Hyak: “M/V Kam Chancellor”

M/V Issaquah: “M/V Russell Okung”

M/V Kaleetan: “M/V Doug Baldwin”

M/V Kennewick: “M/V James Carpenter”