Washington State Ferries July 4 holiday ferry travel expected to be heavy

||| FROM PATTY RUBSTELLO for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

Fourth of July holiday ferry travel

If your Independence Day travel plans include a state ferry ride, prepare for possible last-minute schedule changes. In addition to the usual long vehicle lines and wait times surrounding holiday weekends, trips may be canceled with short notice due to our current lack of relief crewing. With only one available spare vessel, trips may also be cut if there is an unexpected mechanical issue within the system’s aging fleet of ferries. We’re working to build new vessels but they will not be available to go into service for several years. To navigate possible last-minute sailing cancellations, customers are encouraged to sign up for rider alerts for the latest service updates and track each ferry using the real-time map online.

The busiest sailings will be westbound (or onto an island) Thursday, June 30, to Monday, July 3, then eastbound (or off island) Wednesday, July 5, into the following weekend.

To reduce or eliminate waiting, riders may consider taking an early morning or late-night sailing or walking on. Before heading to a terminal or boarding, people driving on board should check terminal conditions. Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes also offer vehicle reservations. Check our sailing schedules for timetable changes on Independence Day, July 4. It is against the law to set off or transport illegal fireworks aboard a state ferry. I wish everyone a safe holiday weekend!

Transportation professionals from around the country tour Tacoma

We hosted 17 transportation professionals on a tour aboard Tacoma last week. The group was in town for the Support for Urban Mobility Analyses annual meeting. Participants sailed from Seattle to Bainbridge and back, getting a look at the engine room and pilothouse. Thank you to Capt. Stephen Philips, Chief Engineer Thomas Fraczak and the rest of the deck and engine crews for their hospitality. It’s always great to share what we do with transportation professionals from across the country!

In addition to a vessel tour, a group of transportation professionals got to see our Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock Project.

Washington State Transportation Commission meeting

Some members of our executive team and I were in Friday Harbor last week for a Washington State Transportation Commission meeting to provide an update on our service restoration plan. We also presented WSF’s fare adjustment recommendation prior to the commission selecting its proposed ferry fare changes over the next two years. While in the San Juan Islands, WSDOT Deputy Secretary Amy Scarton, Chief of Staff Nicole McIntosh, Finance and Administration Director Todd Lamphere and I spent time chatting with several of our vessel and terminal employees working on the route.

During a stop at Lopez terminal, Amy, Nicole, Todd and I had a good conversation with staff on how things have been changing with the increase in travelers using our system.

Lopez terminal employee Leslie Austin teaches Todd how to operate the vehicle transfer span.

New vessel engineering and maintenance director

Starting in July, Richard Servance will join our executive team as director of vessel engineering and maintenance. I’m pleased to see one of our own move up, as he is currently our navigation systems program manager. In his new role, Richard will oversee our teams in our vessel engine rooms, Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility, warehouse and headquarters who work to keep our fleet operational. Congratulations Richard and thank you to Eben Phillips, our deputy director of vessel engineering and maintenance, for serving in this role on an interim basis for the past several months.

Loaning our deck to a worthy community cause

We love to give back to the community at WSF, and this annual event is one of my favorites! Each summer, we loan our Vashon passenger-only dock to Camp Goodtimes. This 34-year partnership allows campers to take a fun boat ride donated by Argosy Cruises. It’s often the highlight for hundreds of children with cancer and siblings during their weeklong stay at Camp Burton on Vashon Island. The camp offers children the chance to grow, belong and rejuvenate while surrounded by peers who understand the effects of childhood cancer.

Crab pots and ferries don’t mix

Ferries and crabbing are synonymous with the Pacific Northwest, but that doesn’t mean they should tangle with each other. With most areas of Puget Sound opening for recreational crab fishing Saturday, July 1, we want to remind crab fishers to avoid our ferry lanes. The Northwest Straits Initiative has more strategies for a successful crabbing experience.

Next Weekly Update will be Thursday, July 13

There will be no Weekly Update on Thursday, July 6. We’ll catch up in our next Weekly Update on Thursday, July 13. Wishing everyone a safe July Fourth holiday week!