In a few instances, a ferry shifted from forward to reverse with no warning. In contrast, an Issaquah boat retrofitted last June with a hybrid electro-pneumatic system has outstripped all expectations, according to vessel maintenance engineer Ben Davis. As part of the state's Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries in Seattle operates 24 vessels, encompassing a variety of control systems. No others have had the problems of the six boats in the Issaquah class, which are unique in having variable-pitch propellors, one at each end of the boat. When the captain sets the control handle positions for transit or movement near the dock, the control system must set the appropriate propellor speed, pitch, and clutch engagement.
Variable pitch makes the craft extremely maneuverable, able to move sideways and turn on the spot.
The Prodigy system accesses remote subscribers' disks to check the Prodigy software version used, and when necessary, downloads the latest programs. This process is automatic when subscribers link to the network. I asked Prodigy how they protect against the possibility of altering subscribers' non-Prodigy programs, or reading their personal data. According to Prodigy, the feature cannot be disabled. Sentences were mild and partly significantly below the recommendation of the public prosecutor.