WSF Weekly Report | Upcoming online community meetings; Salish crew makes rescue; Anacortes traffic delays

||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||

A message from Steve

Since we marked the start of construction on our new ferries in Florida last week, I’ve seen a lot of questions about how the vessels will eventually make their way to Washington state. One question in particular keeps coming up: if the ferries are being built in Florida, will Washington have to pay an additional cost to transport them here? The answer is no. Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s bid includes delivery of each vessel to Washington state. The cost of getting them from the Gulf Coast to Puget Sound is already included in the contract price.

How they make that journey will ultimately be up to Eastern Shipbuilding Group and our acceptance of their voyage plan. The ferries will need to transit the Panama Canal, and there are two ways they could make the trip: towed by U.S. ocean-going tugs or transported aboard a larger vessel designed to carry ships. Eastern will develop the delivery plan as construction progresses.

We will take delivery of each new ferry after it arrives in Seattle and undergoes a final underwater inspection here in Puget Sound. That gives us an opportunity to address any open warranty items before the vessel enters service.

There is still a lot of work ahead before we see the first of these new ferries here in Washington. And when the new vessels are delivered, sea trials and inspections are also part of delivery timelines.

Online community meetings Thursday, Sept. 10

Our fall online community meetings are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10. This is your chance to share feedback and ask us questions. You must register ahead of time to attend the Zoom meetings at 11 a.m. or 6 p.m. Each will begin with a brief presentation on our summer service and new vessel construction. Most of the time will be dedicated to answering questions. If you want to send a question or comment ahead of time, please email us. Recordings will be posted on our community participation page on Friday, Sept. 11, the day after the meetings.

Both online community meetings will cover the same information.

Salish crew rescues divers near Keystone Harbor

My fleet colleagues working aboard Salish Friday afternoon helped two divers in trouble near Keystone Harbor. The crew quickly launched a rescue boat and took them safely to the public boat dock near our Coupeville terminal. There, they were transferred to emergency medical services for further care. Incidents like this show why our vessel and terminal employees practice regular safety and emergency drills. Thank you to the Salish crew and all our employees for the training they go through to help keep our customers, their colleagues and everyone out on the Salish Sea safe.

Salish docked at our Coupeville terminal with the public boat ramp where two divers were brought safely ashore after being rescued in the foreground.

Below the waterline of Walla Walla

What happens when you take a ferry out of the water? You get a rare look at what normally stays hidden below the surface. That’s exactly what’s happening with Walla Walla. The 53-year-old vessel is spending a few weeks in dry dock at Everett Ship Repair. Being out of the water gives our crews a chance to inspect the hull, make needed repairs and complete important maintenance that’s difficult to do while the ferry is in the water. This work helps keep Walla Walla safe, reliable and in service for years to come.

Walla Walla in dry dock at Everett Ship Repair. The vessel is scheduled to be back in the water later this month and return to service by the end of September.

Preparing for the San Juan County Fair

The San Juan County Fair is one of those events that reminds us how important reliable ferry service is to our island communities. With the event running today, Aug. 13, through Sunday, Aug. 16, we’ve prepared for increased demand and possible long lines on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route, especially interisland. We’re adding extra crew to the Tillikum, our interisland ferry. We’re also working with other transportation providers so we can quickly move crew between islands if needed. If your plans are flexible, consider traveling earlier in the week or after the fair to help avoid the busiest times.

To help accommodate vendors and livestock trailers leaving the fair, we’re limiting reservation space on the 9:50 p.m. Sunday sailing from Friday Harbor to Anacortes.

19 days of SR 20 traffic delays south of Anacortes

Plan for possible traffic delays over the next few weeks if your ferry trip takes you on State Route 20 between Anacortes and Whidbey Island. Starting at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, the highway will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic at Campbell Lake Road. An automated traffic signal will direct vehicles through the intersection 24/7 through 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, while crews work on an intersection improvement project.

Looking ahead to 2027, SR 20 at Campbell Lake Road will again be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic around the clock for up to 54 days next spring or summer.

SR 525 lane closures just outside Mukilteo terminal Saturday, Aug. 15

Getting in or out of our Mukilteo terminal by vehicle may take extra time on Saturday, Aug. 15. There will be lane closures on State Route 525/Mukilteo Speedway just outside the terminal while WSDOT maintenance crews inspect the bridge over the railroad. The northbound right lane will close first at 10:30 a.m. Crews will then switch to the southbound right lane. The work is expected to be finished by 3:30 p.m. The timing is based on BNSF Railway’s availability, as railroad personnel must be onsite while our crews perform the inspection.

Sailing stats for week of Aug. 3-9

For the week of Aug. 3-9, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 74.6%. By comparison, it was 75.8% during a similar week last year (Aug. 4-10, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.

Customer kudos

“Dana (B., ticket taker) on traffic at Fauntleroy goes out of her way to say hi every day. She’s so nice. (Ticket Seller/Attendant) Raphael F. at Southworth is always there in the mornings, and is always in a good mood. Awesome dude. (Ticket Seller/Attendant) Megan G. is usually the ticket booth lady that I see in the evenings and she is so great!”

-Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route customer