WSF Weekly Report | Winter weather; 24/7 support staff; USCG K-9 honored

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

A message from Steve

As a 24/7 operation, we have staff working nonstop to support our customers every day of the year. We have dispatchers working from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Our web agents send out rider alerts from 4:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. But when these teams log off, others are still working hard to keep things running smoothly.

Each ferry’s engine room is crewed around the clock. When boats tie up after long service days, these employees work on the maintenance and preservation necessary to keep the vessel operating safely. With an aging fleet, our engine room crews’ work is vital to ensuring they’re ready for each service day.

Two years ago, the Legislature funded a second shift at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility. This lets our skilled maintenance team work late at night on scheduled vessel maintenance. They’re also available to handle urgent issues at terminals and vessels. This after-hours work is making a real difference in service excellence.

And then there’s a group of dedicated professionals who are the beating hearts of our operations – our watch center supervisors. They are always on duty, answering questions and directing activities throughout our system. In 2024, they received 22,428 incoming calls and made 21,174 outgoing ones. These calls aren’t just from colleagues reporting situations or asking questions. Many come from first responders asking for support for medical transports, Washington State Patrol requesting assistance with emergency situations, and everything you can think of from Orcas Island in San Juan County to Point Defiance in Pierce County. Even after our dispatchers and web agents leave for the day, our watch center supervisors step in, finding crew replacements and sending out rider alerts. They are key to our success.

Winter weather

Since the start of the month, our employees have been braving harsh winter weather. They are navigating snowy, icy and frigid conditions to get to work and keep our system running smoothly. Terminal staff and vessel crews are also ensuring rider safety by shoveling snow and salting busy areas. Meanwhile, our dispatchers and watch center supervisors have been working tirelessly to fill shifts and keep operations on track during this cold blast. Thank you to all for your dedication!

The Samish deck crew shoveling snow and salting surfaces at our Orcas Island terminal early this morning.

Have a question? Ask us at virtual public meetings

Don’t forget – we’re hosting two virtual community meetings next week to provide the latest information on service restoration, building new ferries, electrification and the legislative sessions. Advance registration is required for noon Wednesday, Feb. 12, and 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, meetings by clicking either time and date. Each meeting will cover the same material. Participants will be able to ask questions and provide comments. Email us if you would like to send in questions ahead of the meetings. Recordings of both meetings will be posted to our community participation page on Friday, Feb. 14.

Update on Wenatchee

We placed Wenatchee in drydock Saturday for a week of scheduled maintenance. This crucial work includes Coast Guard-mandated underwater hull inspections and cleaning. Both are necessary for upcoming vessel testing, trials and delivery. The Jumbo Mark II ferry has been undergoing significant upgrades to its aging propulsion system and is being converted to hybrid-electric power. These improvements are designed to ensure the vessel remains reliable throughout its 60-year lifespan. Wenatchee is expected to return to service by summer 2025.

Wenatchee in drydock at Vigor shipyard in Seattle.

New training classroom at Seattle Maritime Academy

We recently opened a dedicated training classroom at Seattle Maritime Academy. This new space is part of our efforts to expand career development pipelines, ensuring a steady flow of skilled mariners into the fleet. The classroom provides our employees with hands-on training opportunities to prepare them for the demands of working aboard our vessels. In 2024, about of our 70 engine crewmembers and 150 deckhands were eligible for promotion, thanks to impactful initiatives like this.

The training classroom at Seattle Maritime Academy has our five core values prominently displayed.

American Humane award for USCG K-9 that keeps our customers, employees safe

A U.S. Coast Guard security dog that protects our ferry system is getting national recognition. K-9 Niki is the winner of the Military Dog category of the 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Awards. Her exceptional career includes hundreds of high-stakes operations, vehicle sweeps and community demonstrations. The Belgian Malinois Shepherd mix also protects key events, officials and infrastructure. She often plays a vital role in public safety, safeguarding millions of people. The annual Hero Dog Awards is a nationwide competition celebrating heroic dogs. Winners are named in five categories and one of them is crowned as the American Hero Dog. Congratulations Niki!

K-9 Niki with the U.S. Coast Guard has logged more than 4,000 working hours. Photo courtesy American Humane.

Sailing stats for week of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2

For the week of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, we completed 98% of our 2,728 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 59 cancellations, 25 were for vessel-related issues, 16 due to crewing, 12 because of tidal currents, three for a schedule reset (when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers) and three due to other miscellaneous reasons.  

Customer kudos

“… My daughter and I and her 2 boys, along with their 83 year old great grandma and 2 year old niece were on the Bainbridge Island to Seattle ferry on the 1/18/25 3:00 sailing. When she went to exit the ferry on the Seattle side, her car would not start. After a stressful/crazy day with all of the kids, the ferry worker (a woman) who jump started the car, was so compassionate and understanding to my daughter. I wish I would have asked what her name is (Able Seafarer Anita Burns), but please let her know how much she was appreciated. There are so many good people out there. Thank you!!!!!”

-Seattle/Bainbridge route customer