Although the company wished the vessel to be known as the Silver Swan, the vessel soon attracted other, less complimentary nicknames, including the Silver Slug, Silver Beetle, Galloping Ghost of the Pacific Coast, and, among Seattle's Scandinavian community, Kackerlacka, which means "cockroach". (From Wikipedia.. )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Kalakala
The engine's crank shaft held the record for the longest in North America. However, it is suspected that the engine and crank shaft may have been poorly aligned. This may have been the culprit for her teeth-rattling vibration. Part of the problem was her propeller. After having her original four-blade prop replaced with a five-blade propeller in 1956, the vibration on the ferry was reduced by a substantial 40%.
Set back from her streamlined superstructure for aesthetics, it was impossible to see the bow of the vessel from the bridge. As visibility also depended on round portholes rather than a fully glazed wheelhouse, she was known for being difficult to handle when docking.
http://www.kalakala.org/vesseltour/Below.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Kalakala