WSF Weekly Report | Classroom on the water; fall schedule starts Sunday

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

A message from Steve

As our ferries age, I’m consistently impressed by the work of our chief engineers, assistant engineers, oilers and wipers. They work closely with our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility and Capital Planning and Construction teams to keep our boats operating at their best. This sometimes means repairing and maintaining parts that are no longer manufactured, covered by warranties or even able to be operated reliably.

That is the case with the steering control system on five of our six Issaquah-class vessels. Even with midlife work done, the obsolete system on these 44-to-47-year-old ferries created a risk of failure that could have significantly affected our ability to operate our current 18-boat schedule. Frustratingly, every option for addressing the issue came with risks, and there was no clear path forward.

Director of Vessel Engineering & Maintenance Forrest Nichols and his team presented alternatives and we chose one. We started with the Sealth, commissioned in 1982, which had not gone through a midlife rebuild. The boat was out of service from June 8 through this past weekend. It was the only boat we scheduled to have out during the World Cup. During that time, the Sealth team spent three months installing an entirely new steering control system.

Sealth returned to service on our Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth “Triangle” route Sunday afternoon after work took a few days longer than expected.

Now that we have proven the new system is working on the Sealth, we know we can safely move forward with the same work on the four other Issaquah-class vessels with this issue. That removes a substantial service risk. I could not be prouder – or more appreciative – of the team’s work ensuring we have a path forward for safely operating these vessels.

Listening to the people who keep us moving

Talking directly with my colleagues is key to Turning the Tide. As we focus on building a low-ego, people-first culture, Assistant Secretary John Vezina and I make regular fleet visits to hear directly from our frontline colleagues about how management can support them and make WSF more successful. We know management can’t make decisions in a vacuum, and we value the input we receive from terminal, engine room and deck teams. On Monday, we visited the Yakima, currently assigned to our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. We appreciate the time the crew spent asking us questions and sharing feedback on how we can improve. We’ll continue these conversations across the fleet in the coming months.

From left, Oilers Zachary Ogdahl and Michael Sullivan, me, Chief Engineer Chad Scott and Assistant Secretary John Vezina in the Yakima engine room Monday.

Classroom on the Water

This week, we kicked off our third annual Classroom on the Water program. It gives Maritime High School students a hands-on look at the careers that keep our system running. We developed the program with our partners at Highline Public Schools, Seattle Maritime Academy and Northwest Maritime. On Tuesday, the high schoolers toured our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility and got a behind-the-scenes look at our Bainbridge terminal. Yesterday, they shadowed our engine room crews aboard Puyallup, and they’ll be back tomorrow. Next week, they’ll tour the Puyallup wheelhouse and shadow our deck crews over two days. The program wraps up at our Seattle headquarters, where they’ll meet with our recruiter, Maritime High School alumni who now work at WSF and Director of Marine Operations Erik Nagle.

The Maritime High School students are taking part in a “mini apprenticeship” where they learn real skills they can use in maritime jobs and on our ferries.

These students are gaining skills that will serve them well into the future. They’re also getting a better understanding of the people and jobs that keep our ferries on the move. I thank all the employees who are welcoming these students, sharing their knowledge and telling their stories. Those connections can make a lasting difference as these young people plan their futures. Programs like Classroom on the Water are an important investment in the future of WSF and the entire maritime industry.

Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility General Manager Tim Clancy leads Classroom on the Water participants on a tour of the shipyard’s carpenter shop on Tuesday.

Fall sailing season starts Sunday, Sept. 20

In three days, we’ll switch to our fall sailing schedule, which operates through Dec. 26. On Sunday, Sept. 20, we’ll make the usual seasonal timetable changes on our Edmonds/Kingston, Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth “Triangle” and Mukilteo/Clinton runs. These minor modifications mainly affect late evening and weekend sailings. On that day, our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route will also shift to its “off-peak” schedule, which will remain in effect through winter and spring. Our Port Townsend/Coupeville run will stay on two-boat service until Oct. 5, when it will switch to one with no late evening Friday and Saturday sailings. This is a week earlier than planned due to vessel maintenance. The season change does not affect our Point Defiance/Tahlequah, Seattle/Bainbridge and Seattle/Bremerton routes.

Kittitas must undergo maintenance from early October through early November. During this time, our “Triangle” route will operate on its two-boat schedule, with a third, unscheduled bonus boat.

Sailing stats for week of Sept. 7-13

For the week of Sept. 7-13, we completed 98.9% of our 2,955 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 34 cancellations, 26 were due to crewing, four because of schedule resets (when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers) and four for tidal currents.

For comparison, during a similar week last year (Sept. 8-14, 2025), we completed 98.4% of our 3,124 scheduled sailings. Of the 53 cancellations that week, 24 were due to vessel-related issues, 11 because of crewing, eight for weather, seven due to schedule resets, two because of other miscellaneous reasons and one for an emergency.

Customer kudos

“BIG THANKS TO SOUTHWORTH FERRY Staff! I was a little apprehensive about taking the (Kitsap Transit) fast Ferry for the first time. I parked my car and went to the terminal to see how it works. I was so lucky that Nicole (M.), the (Washington State Ferries) traffic attendant (…) was there!! She went out of her way to give me information, make me feel comfortable, and even show me exactly how I would get tickets and board. She took me down the ramp and let me step onto the ferry for a moment. This may sound a little silly to some of you. But an older person doing something new for the first time it can be intimidating. But the most important thing is that your staff represents the Washington ferry system so beautifully! THANKS NICOLE!! And thanks also to RAPHAEL (F.) the Southworth ticket seller who very patiently and kindly gave me instructions and told me how to turn around and park in the proper place!! Thank you!”

-Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry customer at our Southworth terminal