WSF Weekly Update | Boats. Communities. Trust. Halloween. Daylight Savings Time

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

A message from Steve

When I think about what Washington State Ferries truly represents, I keep coming back to three simple words: Boats Communities Trust.

Our boats are the most visible part of who we are, safely carrying millions of people and vehicles across some of the most beautiful waterways in the world. Behind every sailing are thousands of dedicated employees who care deeply about the communities we serve.

Ordinary Seafarer Jacob Ohlde keeps Issaquah shining, one handrail at a time. Every polish is part of our commitment to safe, reliable and welcoming sailings. Taking care of our boats means taking care of the communities that trust us.

At the heart of all that work is the trust our riders place in us to get them where they need to go safely and reliably, and the mutual respect we build within the organization. That trust and respect isn’t automatic. It’s something we must earn every single day through our actions. Our Turning the Tide initiative is rebuilding that foundation by leading with our values and remembering that everything we do must serve the people who depend on us.

Terminal employee Nancy Novak helps a customer through the turnstiles at our Seattle terminal. This is a small moment that reflects the trust and care at the heart of every sailing we make.

For our customers, this means ferries you can count on, crews who care and a travel experience that reflects the pride we take in serving the people of Washington. You’ll see it as we bring new boats into service, make our sailings more dependable and keep listening to the communities that rely on us. Our goal is simple: to make every crossing a reflection of the trust placed in us.

Washington State Ferries, Boats Communities Trust. 

Our engine room crews hard at work aboard Suquamish during recent unplanned repairs. They are another big factor in keeping our boats running smoothly and our riders safe. This is the dedication that makes every crossing possible.

Future mariners visit our Point Defiance/Tahlequah route

We welcomed members from the Youth Marine Foundation aboard Chetzemoka on Monday. During several roundtrip sailings between Point Defiance and Tahlequah, they toured the wheelhouse and engine room, getting a close look at what it takes to operate a ferry. Some of the students are part of the foundation’s new WAVE Seafarer Readiness Program. This state-funded initiative gives people facing social or financial challenges access to maritime training and credentials. We are proud to help open more pathways for future mariners. The program prepares them for careers with us and the wider maritime industry. Youth Marine Foundation is one of nine organizations that recently received WSDOT grants to help grow the state’s transportation workforce.

Students and staff from the Youth Marine Foundation gather at our Point Defiance terminal before boarding Chetzemoka.

Inspiring future scientists through our sustainability work

We hosted an environmental studies class aboard Puyallup on Tuesday. The students from Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe traveled from Edmonds to Kingston. Biology Program Lead Adrienne Stutes talked with them about our sustainability efforts. She explained the many things we do every day to protect marine life and their habitats. The students are studying Puget Sound’s history and environment to understand how to support cleaner, healthier waters. After the ferry ride, the group collected plankton and sand samples at our Kingston terminal to test for microplastics firsthand. We are grateful for chances to inspire the next generation of scientists and environmental stewards. Experiences like these show that we do more than move people across the water. We also protect and care for the seas we sail.

Students from Sky Valley Education Center aboard Puyallup during their environmental studies trip focused on Puget Sound’s health and sustainability.

End of daylight saving time and our schedules

Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. The full sailing day of Saturday, Nov. 1, will start and end on Pacific Daylight Time. Terminals and vessels will turn their clocks back one hour after the end of the full Saturday sailing schedule. The sailing day starting on Sunday, Nov. 2, will be under Pacific Standard Time.

Happy Halloween

I wish everyone a fun and safe Halloween tomorrow. Whether you’re trick-or-treating with family, enjoying community festivities or sailing with us across the Salish Sea, I hope you have a great time. To get into the spirit, we thought we’d celebrate by sharing some spooky photos from our employees.

Vessel Inspector Specialist Brent Null shows off his festive skills with a glowing pumpkin carved with our logo.

View of the Puyallup car deck at night. Photo by Ordinary Seafarer Samuel Little.

View of a ferry swallowed by fog in waters around the San Juan Islands. Photo by Capt. Genevieve Fritschen.

Sailing stats for week of Oct. 20-26

For the week of Oct. 20-26, we completed 97.2% of our 3,059 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 88 cancellations, 68 were because of vessel-related issues, seven due to crewing, seven 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), four due to tidal currents and one because of weather conditions.

For comparison, during a similar week last year (Oct. 21-27, 2024), we completed 98.4% of our 2,789 scheduled sailings. Of the 44 cancellations that week, 18 were for crewing, 18 due to other miscellaneous reasons, five because of schedule resets and three due to an emergency.

Customer kudos

“Last weekend we had a dead battery both directions between Seattle and Bainbridge. Your employees were extremely helpful. They jumped into action quickly and got our car started so that we could catch the ferry. Thank you!”

-Seattle/Bainbridge route customer