WSF Weekly Update | ‘Ferry Talk’ podcast; rescue; retired ferries; a kudo

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

A message from Steve

On Monday, I had the unique pleasure of spending time with 13-year-old Toby and his mom Margot Kahn Case. They recently started “Ferry Talk” – a podcast dedicated to Washington State Ferries. Toby’s enthusiasm for our system is contagious – his knowledge is extensive, and his perspective offers an unfiltered look at our operations that I don’t often get to hear. As a fan of his podcast, I was excited to join them aboard Yakima for a ferry ride from Anacortes to Orcas Island, where they interviewed me about my role and our work at WSF.

With “Ferry Talk” host Toby in the Yakima wheelhouse. New episodes of his podcast are released on Thursdays through the end of summer.

Toby’s passion for ferries reminds me of my own childhood fascination with British Navy ships. It was inspiring to share that experience with him. Seeing his dedication and curiosity makes me wonder if he might one day follow a similar path to mine. We need to develop a new generation of mariners and teenagers like Toby are vital to our progress. There are hundreds of future WSF employees in our midst, riding our ferries and dreaming of a career spent on the water, just like I did as a child.

Suquamish crew rescues person in water off Mukilteo

Our crew members working aboard Suquamish saved a watercraft enthusiast off Mukilteo Sunday evening, taking them ashore in a rescue boat. The victim was one in a group of five kayakers and paddleboarders who needed help following a quick bout of heavy rain and wind. The Everett Fire Department saved three others and the fifth person managed to rescue themselves. Kudos to the Suquamish crew and Mukilteo terminal staff for their swift efforts and coordination with multiple agencies. And as always, thanks to all our employees for your hard work and training to be prepared for all types of emergencies.

As soon as the call came in to help with a search and rescue off Mukilteo, our Suquamish crew quickly launched a rescue boat, saving a person by taking them to shore for medical attention.

Security exercise at Port Townsend terminal

We held our annual security exercise at Port Townsend terminal Tuesday with help from the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington State Patrol and several local response agencies. Nearly 100 people were on hand to simulate our response to an active threat scenario aboard Kennewick. The main goal of the drill was to test and evaluate our onboard procedures. With safety and security our number one priority, I appreciate the hard work and training everyone puts in to keep our customers and employees protected.

Participants of Tuesday’s security exercise gather for a discussion at Port Townsend terminal, which was closed to the public at the time as the route was out of service for scheduled cancellations due to extreme tidal conditions.

Update on sale, tow of retired ferries

Retired ferries Elwha and Klahowya are back at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility after their departure out of Puget Sound was postponed Monday. The tow equipment used by the prospective buyer of the vessels malfunctioned, and there is no new plan yet for their removal. The two boats were sold to Nelson Armas of Ecuador for $200,000. The new owner plans to recycle the ferries at a clean, green steel mill recycling facility in South America. The sale of a third decommissioned vessel, Hyak, which is docked at our Kingston terminal, is still in progress. We will share more details once that transaction is complete.

A small tugboat pushes Klawhoya into Elliott Bay on Monday to meet up with a larger tug that was going to take it and Elwha out of Puget Sound before equipment on that vessel malfunctioned.

Overnight closures of SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge

Ferry travelers who use the State Route 104 Hood Canal Bridge will need to use an alternate route the next two nights. Starting at 10 tonight, Aug. 22, and tomorrow, Aug. 23, the bridge will be shut down to all travelers until 5 the next morning. During the closures, crews will work on the bridge’s shock absorbers as part of the center lock rehabilitation project. This work is weather dependent and could be rescheduled.

Sailing stats for week of Aug. 12-18

For the week of Aug. 12-18, we completed 98.9% of our 2,829 scheduled sailings. We replaced four of our 35 cancellations: 28 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), two due to crewing, two for fog, two because of other reasons and one for an emergency.

Customer kudos

“We wish to extend our deepest appreciation to the Bainbridge Island ferry worker (Ticket Seller Vanessa Camanse-Wolf) who recognized that our dad was disoriented and may be lost […]. He was indeed lost. He left his assisted living facility in Mountlake Terrace and found his way to the Colman Dock in Seattle and boarded the ferry to Bainbridge Island. The ferry worker notified the Washington State Patrol. A situation that could have ended tragically turned out with Dad safely back in his facility with extra security measures in place.”

-Grateful family