WSF Weekly Report | Remembering first WSF woman; Puyallup rescue; Daylight Savings reminder

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

A message from Steve

March is Women’s History Month, and Sunday, March 8 marks International Women’s Day. It’s an opportunity to recognize the women who keep this system running every day. When I was 16 years old, fresh out of school and far from home, I joined my first ship, a 1,250-foot oil tanker sailing from Los Angeles to the Persian Gulf. I was a teenager from the United Kingdom, standing on a massive vessel in the middle of the Pacific, trying to figure out who I was and whether I belonged. The first real mentor I had on that ship was a female deck officer. She took the time to teach me, steady me and show me what right looked like. At that stage of my life, that mattered more than I can put into words. Maritime was, and still is in many places, a male-dominated industry. But leadership, professionalism, and care for others are not defined by gender.

In July 1977, Lynda Wheeler made history as our first female licensed ferry deck officer. These moments aboard Walla Walla reflect a career that helped chart a new course for women in maritime. Photos courtesy Cliff McNair Jr. of the Bremerton Sun via Washington State Archives.

Today at Washington State Ferries, about one-quarter of our workforce identify as women, which is higher than most maritime organizations. And that number is growing, but there is still work to do. In 2025, one-third of our job offers went to women. That matters because reliable service depends on attracting and retaining the best people. Part of our responsibility is to become an employer of choice in the maritime industry. That means creating clear pathways into these careers and supporting people once they are here and making sure opportunity is real. When women see themselves on the bridge, in the engine room, at our terminals or in other leadership roles, and see maritime as a career where they belong and can succeed, it expands what feels possible. And when we build a workplace where everyone has a fair shot to contribute and grow, customers benefit. Reliable service comes from skilled people who feel valued and supported.

Puyallup crew rescues 2 divers near Edmonds terminal

Speaking of women’s contributions to WSF, it was two women in our workforce who led the way in saving two lives Saturday morning.  As Puyallup arrived at our Edmonds terminal, our deck crew saw divers in trouble in the rough water and strong winds. They quickly launched a rescue boat with two women at the helm – Bosun Esther Conomos and Able-Bodied Seafarer Kellie Anderson. They retrieved the tired divers and brought them safely to shore, monitoring their condition until emergency medical services arrived. Then, Able-Bodied Seafarers Charlie Wood and Stephen Tapangco launched a second rescue boat. They had to tow the first one back to Puyallup because it had trouble restarting on the beach. Even with this delay, the whole operation took only 20 minutes from the time the divers were spotted to when everyone was safely back on board. This incident shows why regular safety drills and emergency training are so important. Training helps our employees stay calm, act quickly and work together when every second matters. I am grateful to the Puyallup deck crew – and all our employees – who help keep everyone on the Salish Sea safe.

The first of two rescue boats launched by our Puyallup deck crews Saturday morning.

SR 305 weekday utility work near Agate Pass Bridge

Ferry riders who use State Route 305 between Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island should plan for extra travel time beginning Monday, March 9. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday, traffic may be reduced to one alternating lane while private utility crews cut back vegetation from power lines. The work will start near Northeast Totten Road and move south toward the Agate Pass Bridge as it progresses.

Daylight saving time and our schedules

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead this weekend. Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 8. We will operate the full sailing day of Saturday, March 7, on Pacific Standard Time. We will operate on daylight saving time beginning with the first departures of the sailing day Sunday on each route.

Sailing stats for week of Feb. 23 to March 1

We are now sharing on-time performance data to help our customers better understand how our system is running. For the week of Feb. 23 to March 1, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 92.3%. By comparison, it was 91.1% during a similar week last year (Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.

Customer kudos

“For the crew working 2/14 on the 8:25 ferry run out of Point Defiance – thank you! I can only imagine how annoyed you might have felt seeing a car in the queue that wouldn’t start. Everyone who interacted with us was very professional and helpful. We appreciate your understanding and help even as you kept to your schedule.

-Point Defiance/Tahlequah route customer