WSF Weekly Report | Black history month; terminal repair work; kudos for SJ route

||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

A message from Steve

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the stories and contributions of Black Americans. Many played key roles in shaping the maritime industry despite not always being afforded opportunities for which they were qualified, including here in the Pacific Northwest.

Black sailors were among the first Americans to explore Alaska’s southeast panhandle in the 1840s, later venturing into the Arctic. During World War II, Black shipyard workers helped build the vessels that kept the military operational. Their contributions may not always be front and center in history books, but they helped lay the foundation for the industry we work in today.

To meet current and future staffing goals, our fleet must be diverse and reflect the people of Washington. Bosun Derrick Fant and Ordinary Sailor Nanette Hearns represented us at the WSDOT Worker Memorial in April.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well.” This month is a chance to reflect, learn and appreciate the people who helped shape our world, both on and off the water, as we row together as Team WSF.

Inviting people from all backgrounds to see what a maritime career can offer expands our pool of future mariners. We have a partnership with Sea Potential to regularly bring diverse students aboard our ferries for tours.

New ferry system electrification program administrator

This week, I named David Sowers as our new leader for ferry system electrification. Since 2019, he has served as our terminal engineering director. David has led major projects like our Mukilteo and Colman Dock replacements. Now, he will direct three key areas of our electrification program: building new hybrid vessels, upgrading terminals so they can charge the boats and Jumbo Mark II hybrid conversion. Big milestones are coming up. We expect bids for our new hybrid vessels in April and plan for Wenatchee to return as a converted hybrid ferry in June. We’re also working to speed up terminal upgrades so these boats can fully use shoreside charging. Congratulations David. Your leadership will help us build a greener ferry system.

David has led several major projects for WSDOT, including the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program. With extensive experience in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects, David is well-equipped to drive our critical electrification program forward.

Improving on-time performance

We know service doesn’t feel reliable if your boat sails significantly late. That’s why we are focused on increasing our on-time departures and arrivals. And our efforts are making a difference. Last month, our on-time performance reached 94% — our best January in four years. We’ve seen a noticeable improvement on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route with the recent schedule update. But several issues continue to affect our Seattle/Bainbridge run. A big one is vessel capacity, as the schedule was designed for two Jumbo Mark II ferries. But due to a lack of available boats, we often operate with one smaller vessel, which leads to overloads and delays. Additional factors include marine traffic slowing crossings and occasional whale activity. There’s also offload delays in Seattle, but with the city’s work along on Alaskan Way nearing completion, we’re hopeful this will improve.

On-time performance by seasons (includes data through Feb. 16 for winter 2025). Sticking to the schedule is harder in the summer because loading and unloading take longer when more vehicles are traveling.

Recent terminal maintenance work

Our terminal maintenance team plays a critical role in keeping our service running smoothly. They address issues before they become big problems. We invest in contracted maintenance for short-term fixes found during routine inspections. Our in-house staff also handles a significant amount of repair work, alongside WSDOT regional teams. They make sure all the slips at our terminals and Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility stay in good working order. They are another important part of keeping our system safe and reliable.

We recently teamed up with contractors to install new support beams at our Vashon dock as part of trestle repairs.

Our current project at Shaw terminal requires special micropile drill that looks like a skeleton.

Our terminal maintenance team just replaced a damaged wooden structure in the water at Vashon terminal, called a dolphin.

Thousands of bicyclists on Seattle/Bainbridge route Sunday, Feb. 23

If you’re traveling on our Seattle/Bainbridge route Sunday, Feb. 23, plan for possible delays and less vehicle space. Over 2,000 bicyclists will head to the island for the annual Chilly Hilly ride. There will be lots of bikes on Seattle departures from 7:55 to 10:40 a.m., then on Bainbridge sailings from 11:35 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drivers may want to travel at different times or take another route. Riders should follow directions from our staff and Cascade Bicycle Club volunteers at the terminals and on the ferries.

A sea of bikes is expected on morning sailings out of Seattle Sunday, Feb. 23, and Bainbridge departures midday through afternoon.

Follow @wastateferries on Instagram

We are now on Instagram! In our first week on the app, we have amassed nearly 2,000 followers and growing every day. Ever wanted to see your photos posted on our platforms? This is your chance! Give @wastateferries a follow and use #wsferries and you might be featured on our Instagram page.

Sailing stats for week of Feb. 10-16

For the week of Feb. 10-16, we completed 99.3% of our 2,735 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 20 cancellations, 10 were for vessel-related issues, six because of tidal currents and four due to crewing.

Customer kudos

“…On Tues/21 January, my family took the 300pm ferry from Anacortes-Lopez-Shaw-Orcas Island. The plan was for my elderly mom to walk-off at Lopez Island where she was met by friends, then my husband and myself would continue onward with our vehicle to Orcas Island.

“My mom uses oxygen and during the sailing, I was concerned about her capability to walk up the inclined departure road, and not being familiar as to how close her friends could get to the ferry, I began to panic a little. I looked for someone that could provide information. I was concerned if I walked her off the ferry, would I have time to get back on with my husband and vehicle before it departed for the next islands.

“I was so fortunate to encounter your employee, Jesse (Goe, ordinary sailor). He understood my concerns, and immediately offered a wheelchair to expedite in my mom’s transfer off the ferry. Jesse was gone and back in a flash with the wheelchair. I thanked him and verified the procedure of ‘where I would take her, where would I return the wheelchair, etc’. But without hesitation, Jesse said not to worry, he would bring her off the ferry. Confirming he didn’t see any reason for me to worry about exiting and reboarding the ferry, he would gladly bring her off to her friends. Upon landing, Jesse did just that, and Jesse got help from a female employee whom assisted in rolling my mom’s carry-on luggage. In no time at all, my mom was whisked away off the ferry to her friends with flawless ease and kindness…”

-Anacortes/San Juan Islands route customer