WSF Weekly Report | Life-saving Walla Walla crew; new rescue boats; summer reservations start Tuesday

||| FROM JOHN MEZINA for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

A message from John

Proud to spend time on Saturday with a group who are vital to providing safe and reliable service but are rarely seen by our customers. Our engine room employees – Chief Engineers, Assistant Engineers, Oilers, and Wipers – ably represented by the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association – crew our vessels 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year. Even when their boats are tied for a few hours in the middle of the night, they are working to make sure the vessels are ready for the next service day.

I joined Oilers Jack Kopakowski and Nick Twietmeyer, and Chief Engineer James Lorenz in the Spokane engine room Saturday.

Too often, these hardworking professionals feel overlooked by management and passengers. Steve and I are committed to recognizing their importance and ensuring they receive the compensation they deserve.

Governor signs bill regarding our captains

Meanwhile in the wheelhouse, Gov. Bob Ferguson on Monday signed House Bill 1511. It amends RCW 47.64.340, providing our captains with the opportunity to merge their bargaining unit with our mates. If most of them vote to be included in a combined International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots contract, this would become effective July 1, 2026. In addition to giving our captains more flexibility in how they are represented, the bill clarifies their roles and responsibilities.

I attended Gov. Bob Ferguson’s bill signing Monday with WSDOT Secretary Julie Meredith (second from right), the governor’s Senior Policy Advisor for Transportation Megan Cotton (far right) and union leaders. Photo courtesy Washington State Legislative Support Services.

Walla Walla crew saves passenger’s life

On the night of March 23, our Walla Walla deck crew helped save a man’s life at Colman Dock. During offloading, a crew member saw a driver who wasn’t responding and opened the car door to check on him. He had a weak pulse and was barely breathing. Offloading was stopped and the crew brought down an automated external defibrillator and trauma kit. Capt. Gabe Gaubert quickly called for first responders, who arrived within seconds. After 15 minutes, they got a pulse and took the man to the hospital. Following 11 days in the hospital, the man and his wife surprised our crew with a visit on Sunday to say thank you. He had suffered multiple heart attacks and said their fast actions helped save his life. They brought pizza to show their thanks. Our employees were touched by the visit and reminded how teamwork and training can make a real difference.

All our vessel crews and many of our terminal employees are trained to use automated external defibrillators, which we have on hand on board all our vessels and at each of our terminals.

New rescue boats to increase safety across Salish Sea

We just got some new rescue boats and recently inspected them at our warehouse to make sure they’re ready to use. This is a huge safety investment not only for our passengers and crews, but for everyone on the Salish Sea. These boats help our crews be much more responsive and more effective in doing their job during emergencies. This upgrade is part of our commitment to safety and always being ready. With good tools and training, our crews will have what they need to keep everyone safe on the water.

Two new rescue boats at our warehouse in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood.

Online open house for “Triangle” route 2-boat schedule update

We want to hear from you about updating the two-boat schedule for our Fauntleroy/Vashon/ Southworth route. This week, we launched an online open house to share our plan to make service on the “Triangle” run more reliable. For most of the time since 2020, ferry and crew shortages have forced us to use our current two-boat schedule. It was originally made for rare emergencies and hasn’t been updated in 10 years. With Gov. Bob Ferguson’s announcement to restore as much pre-pandemic domestic service as possible, the route will return to three-boat service this summer. However, we may at times, still need to drop to two boats. That’s why we want to make sure this backup schedule provides as much service as possible and meets our customers’ needs. You can visit the open house online through April 18.

This summer, our “Triangle” route will return to its three-boat schedule, which was updated following a robust community engagement effort between 2016 and 2019. We used those timetables for almost a year before the pandemic disrupted service.

Vehicle reservations for summer season available 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 15

Our summer sailing season (June 15 to Sept. 20) vehicle reservations open in five days. This release is always the busiest of the year. Vehicle travelers can save a spot on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands and Port Townsend/Coupeville routes starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 15. To avoid website overload and ensure fair access, we will use a virtual waiting room. If you are sent to the waiting room, you’ll see your place in line, estimated wait time and the option to get a notification when it’s your turn to book.

Our Anacortes/San Juan Islands run will have a new schedule than previous summers. Sailing times were updated for the first time in more than a decade to improve on-time service. Revised winter and spring timetables for the route were rolled over the past six months. The new spring schedule will be used again for our fall sailing season.

Hundreds of bicyclists on Vashon Island routes Sunday, April 13

If you’re using our Vashon Island routes Sunday, April 13, plan for possible delays and limited vehicle capacity as hundreds of bicyclists cross the island for the Ride for Major Taylor. Expect a lot of bikes on our Point Defiance departures from 9:15 a.m. to 12:35 p.m., then on sailings from Vashon to Fauntleroy from midday through the afternoon. Drivers should consider alternate travel times or routes.

Participants are asked to follow directions from our staff and Cascade Bicycle Club volunteers at the terminals and on our vessels.

Sailing stats for week of March 31 to April 6

For the week of March 31 to April 6, we completed 98.5% of our 2,763 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 56 cancellations, 13 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), 12 because of tidal currents, 11 due to crewing, 11 for other miscellaneous reasons and nine because of vessel-related issues.

Customer kudos

“Sailing from Vashon to Fauntleroy, sitting at a table in the main passenger deck, my 10 year old son was shuffling a deck of cards when a WSF team member walked by, looking like he was getting off of his shift and getting ready to go home. With a smile, the ferry worker casually asked him if he knew any card tricks. He was surprised when my kid said that as a matter of fact he did! He then took time out of his day as he watched a couple of card tricks my son had been practicing for weeks. His genuine friendliness and readiness to engage absolutely made my son’s day, and created a happy memory for him. Journey enhanced!”

-Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route customer