The Rhododendron was one of two similar Chesapeake Bay ferries that were purchased to become part of the WSF fleet in the 1950s; the other being the now-retired MV Olympic.

[1] It is currently anchored in Fanny Bay, British Columbia, where it serves as a storage and operations platform for nearby oyster farming.

Consequently, in 1993 she was assigned to the Point Defiance to Vashon Island route, a 12-minute trip that is a total of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long.

Island Scallops plans to use the ferry as a support vessel based in Fanny Bay, BC and will remove her engines.

[1][5] On March 11, 2013, the Rhododendron left Eagle Harbor (slip 1) for the last time, arriving in Fanny Bay on the following day.