WSF Weekly Report | Checking in with Maritime HS; Wenatchee update

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

A message from Steve

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending time out in the fleet on our Seattle/Bremerton route. I met with our engine room and deck employees. I also talked to students in our Classroom on the Water program. This is the second year of the program, which I helped kick off by reaching out to Maritime High School with the idea. It was inspiring to talk with the high schoolers. I saw myself in them, since I was interested in maritime work at their age. The program, developed with Highline Public Schools and Northwest Maritime, lets participants explore careers on the water. It also gives them real hands-on skills onboard our vessels.

With Maritime High School students participating in our Classroom on the Water Program yesterday aboard Chimacum.

The program is already producing results. One of the school’s graduates from last year now works in our engine room. I was excited to hear so many of this year’s students want to become engineers. We’ll be adding new boats in the years ahead, and we’ll need more people in those important jobs. The students’ curiosity and energy reminded me why programs like this matter. Classroom on the Water not only supports our workforce but also opens doors for young people. When the senior class graduates in June 2026, they’ll leave with entry-level credentials to start careers with us or in other maritime jobs.

Classroom on the Water is designed to inspire the next generation of mariners. The program gets students excited about maritime jobs and helps them learn skills they can use to become future ferry workers.

While I was out in the fleet yesterday, Assistant Secretary John Vezina and our executive team met with U.S. Coast Guard leadership for our regular quarterly check-in. They discussed our recent leadership changes and service restoration. We also provided the USCG with an update on our new vessel build program and our ongoing commission of Wenatchee, which is the final step of its propulsion upgrade. The group also discussed early planning for the upcoming World Cup. Working closely with the Coast Guard is important. They help keep our operations safe and secure through inspections and oversight. We are grateful for their partnership and the strong support they give our crews and passengers.

Update on Wenatchee

As you may have noticed, Wenatchee has been going in and out of service recently. This is part of the final stage of its propulsion upgrade, called commissioning. During commissioning, which happens after major work, our crews and engineers test the vessel in real-world conditions to identify and fine-tune any issues. Some unexpected issues have come up. But this is a normal part of bringing a 27-year-old ferry into the future with new ship controls and a modern propulsion system. Once commissioning is complete, Wenatchee will give riders on our Seattle/Bainbridge route a cleaner, quieter and more reliable trip.

Wenatchee is now the largest hybrid-electric passenger ferry in North America.

Commissioning takes patience and persistence. Our teams are working hard to resolve each issue to make sure the Wenatchee runs safely for decades to come. We’re confident these efforts will result in a stronger and more sustainable ferry system. Want to know more? Read our blog post to see behind-the-scenes details and the story of this historic upgrade.

Overnight closures of SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge

Nighttime ferry riders traveling between Kitsap and Jefferson counties should be aware that the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge will be closed for five nights later this month. Both directions of traffic will be shut down from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. nightly on Sunday, Sept. 21, through the morning of Friday, Sept. 26. During the closures, contractor crews will fix the steel tracks that guide the wheels on the moveable bridge’s westbound drawspan. Wind, tides and storms have dented the tracks. These dents can affect the alignment and safe operation of the bridge.

Sailing stats for week of Sept. 1-7

For the week of Sept. 1-7, we completed 98.9% of our 3,118 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 38 cancellations, 16 were for schedule resets (when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers), nine because of vessel-related issues, seven due to crewing and six for weather.

For comparison, during a similar week last year (Sept. 2-8, 2024), we completed 98.3% of our 2,887 scheduled sailings. Of the 62 cancellations that week, 30 were because of crewing, 23 due to schedule resets, six for vessel-related issues, two because of an emergency and one due to other miscellaneous reasons.

Customer kudos

“Good afternoon, this is a little late coming but I was traveling from Friday Harbor to ANA on Sunday 24th August, and had the unfortunate issue of my car’s transmission breaking. I just wanted to thank (Ordinary Seafarer) Ash Lang and the am crew for their grace and kindness while I was stuck, for trying to help me get my car in neutral to allow her to be rolled off, for not getting frustrated when I had to do another two trips as we couldn’t get her moved and then a huge thank you to the second crew who somehow managed to get her rolling and then pushed me off to the bus stop to await a tow. It was incredibly embarrassing for me, but everyone was nothing but kind and tried to help, I so appreciated it, best wishes”

-Anacortes/San Juan Islands route customer