WSF Weekly Report | Farewell to Patty Rubstello; bird rescue at Mukilteo terminal; daylight saving time

This will be my last WSF Weekly Update, as it’s soon time for me to weigh anchor and set sail for new horizons as a grandmother. Leading the state ferry system the last three years has been a true honor and privilege. Before I disembark, I want to thank everyone for helping me navigate this challenging role. I wish the best of luck to my successor, Steve Nevey, who the WSF Weekly Update will come from starting Thursday, March 21. Next week is my last on the job and much time will be spent making sure Steve is set up to set sail without delay. Wishing everyone fair winds and following seas!

I expressed my thanks, goodbyes and well wishes to my colleagues from across WSDOT during a sendoff event last week.

Issaquah crew rescues bird at Mukilteo terminal

Our crew aboard Issaquah rescued a Barrow’s goldeneye Saturday afternoon. While docked in Mukilteo, they spotted the bird tangled in fishing line at the base of one of the in-water terminal structures. Capt. Glen Hogarth and crew immediately sprang into action. Able-Bodied Sailors Gregg Hughes and Sam Foss went out in a rescue boat and successfully untangled the duck. After cleaning the bird up, the crew returned it to the wild and it took flight back to his usual spot on the dock, watching the boats come and go.

Able-Bodied Sailors Gregg Hughes and Sam Foss at Mukilteo terminal after rescuing a Barrow’s goldeneye tangled in fishing line. Photo courtesy Ordinary Sailor Peter Stephens.

Preparing terminal employees for emergencies

Much of our terminal staff is undergoing safety training as they, along with our vessel crewmembers, are our first line of defense for our customers. Vessel crews are required to know first aid before they can work out in the fleet, but our terminal employees are not. That’s why we’re doing safety training at several of our terminals to ensure that most of our public-facing employees are skilled in life-saving situations. The training provides education in the use of automated external defibrillators, hemorrhage control kits and emergency action plans, as well as what to do if there is a bomb threat.

Terminal employee and instructor Tiana Sarragossa trains colleague Diane Williams during a recent terminal safety tour in Kingston.

Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month and tomorrow, March 8, is International Women’s Day. While the transportation and maritime industries have traditionally been male dominated, it is exciting to see the ever-growing presence of females in our workforce – on our vessels, at our terminals, in our warehouse, at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility and at our headquarters office. According to voluntary data, women made up 23% of our employees in 2023. Cheers to all the women in our workforce – past, present and the many more in our future!

I was excited to see this all-women wheelhouse team aboard Suquamish last summer: Chief Mate Cari Brown, Quartermaster Mary Lint, deckhand Carly Maxstone and Capt. Genevieve Fritschen.

UW transportation engineering students visit Colman Dock, Tacoma

A group of students from the Institute of Transportation Engineers Student Chapter at the University of Washington toured Colman Dock last week and took a round trip sailing between Seattle and Bainbridge Island. The students viewed the new terminal on a guided tour before boarding Tacoma for a look in the wheelhouse and engine room. The group was engaged and enjoyed learning about several facets of our system, including how transportation affects equity, as well as diverse populations.

Assistant Engineer Edward Graham shows UW transportation engineering students around the engine room of Tacoma.

Daylight saving time and our sailing schedules

Mark your calendar! Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10. We will operate the full sailing day of Saturday, March 9, on Pacific Standard Time. We will operate on daylight saving time beginning with the first departures of the sailing day Sunday on each route.