SEATTLE — Washington State Ferries is retiring the ferry Hyak after nearly 52 years of service. Hyak’s final sailing will be Sunday night.

The ferry has been decommissioned because the state legislature decided not to fund costly maintenance, WSF said. Lawmakers instead chose to fund new boats.

The loss of the Hyak means the ferry system is now down to 22 boats.

WSF says it requires 19 ferries to fully operate its summer schedule. The Hyak was most recently used as a back-up vessel when others break down.

The Hyak’s final scheduled sailing is Seattle to Bremerton at 9:05 pm Sunday. WDF maintenance crews will then remove all usable equipment and prepare the vessel for sale.

12 more boats are slated for retirement over the next 20 years, WSF said.