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Photo Credit: Spencer Rishel, maritime apprentice
and Friday Harbor High School graduate, taken on the
Kingston/Edmonds run on Saturday, August 17.
Submitted by SJ County FAC Chair Justin Paulsen
A Message from Steve
We work closely – and often – with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to ensure that our ferry system is safe and secure. This partnership allows our passengers and crew to travel with confidence,
knowing they’re in good hands. As the lead federal maritime law enforcement agency, the USCG enforces regulations to keep our waters safe and responds to emergencies. The Coast Guard
also oversees the integrity of our operations and conducts regular inspections of our vessels.
We are in constant communications with the U.S. Coast Guard and always looking for ways to improve our safety and security <https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwsdot.wa.gov%2Ftravel%2Fwas
hington-state-ferries%2Frider-information%2Fsafety-security/1/01000191576a21ef-c638bb1e-2bba-4c48-9fea-642af234d894-000000/6nGhWdmmXJymwrFi7sC5dOpmpIs1o9RHBOrxQ-jaApg=366> . On Tuesday,
August 20, we will hold our annual security exercise, working closely with the USCG and WSP, along with several local response agencies. We will be training to respond to an active
threat scenario at our Port Townsend terminal while the route’s vessel is tied up at the dock for scheduled cancellations <https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.wsdot.com%2Fferries%2Fs
chedule%2Faddcancelbysimpleroute.aspx%3Frouteid=8/1/01000191576a21ef-c638bb1e-2bba-4c48-9fea-642af234d894-000000/HbF9p4vZUzJUJWxC_vLt8HDMjFt_oXI0DMkMTpTZ-n0=366> due to extreme tidal
conditions that morning.
The Coast Guard is an essential partner of ours and we are profoundly grateful for their steadfast dedication to safeguarding our maritime community.
Last week, I met with 13th Coast Guard District Commander Rear Adm. Charles Fosse <https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.uscg.mil%2FBiographies%2FDisplay%2FArticle%2F2676706%2Frear-admi
ral-charles-e-fosse%2F/1/01000191576a21ef-c638bb1e-2bba-4c48-9fea-642af234d894-000000/Kp-GKH0RebtSG-Opzf-R6bolA1oU-LEtW91K7xvePSU=366> (center)
and members of his team Tuesday at their downtown Seattle office in the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building.
WSF Weekly Media Highlights
“There are no quick fixes”: WSF director tackles long-standing issues <https://www.komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-ferries-director-wsf-staffing-issues-steve-nevey-ferry-riders-puget-sound-p
ilotage-program-deck-officers-washington-policy-center-transportation> – KOMO News
What Happens When a Ferry Retires <https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/what-happens-to-a-retired-wa-ferry-elwha-klahowya-about-to-find-out/> – Seattle Times
Today, decommissioned vessels Klahowya and Elwha, retired in 2017 and 2020 respectively, are being towed from Puget Sound for a final journey to a steel mill in Ecuador, where they will
be recycled. These ferries served the people of Washington for decades but are no longer functionable without spending tens millions of dollars, and taking up vital shipyard capacity
that can now go toward building new, modern ferries and maintaining the current fleet. They were sold for $100,000 each.
Major Issues of the Week
On Sunday evening, Mukilteo terminal staff reported a call regarding a missing kayaker. Crew from the Suquamish, currently assigned to the Clinton/Mukilteo route, launched rescue boats
to assist. They recovered one person from the water, taking her to shore for medical attention, with four others on kayaks and paddleboards accounted for. There was confusion as to
whether there was another person missing, but WSF staff were directed by the Coast Guard to stand down and were allowed to resume service.
This terrific support by the Suquamish’s crew isn’t at all unusual, as dozens of times a year WSF crews assist with life/safety – people in the water, vessels in distress, and on-board
emergencies. WSF’s boats are often the closest to emergent situations and our crews are trained for a myriad of lifesaving scenarios – water rescues, fires, heart attacks, and other
emergencies.
Service Reliability*
For the week of August 12-18, systemwide service reliability was 98.9%. Last week, we cancelled 35 of 2829 scheduled sailings, four of which were replaced, for a net cancellation of
31 sailings. Of the 31 cancellations, 6% (2) were due to crewing, 80% (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), 6% (2) were due to fog, 3% (1) an emergency, and 6% (2) for other reasons.
*For WSF, “reliability” refers to a scheduled sailing taking places, not on-time-performance. We understand for the public a significantly late sailing isn’t “reliable,” but we also
share on-time-performance data <https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/wsferries/viz/WSF-Public/Index> for transparency on both metrics.
Vessel Availability
We’re operating at our 15-vessel current service level, adding a 16th “bonus” boat on the Fauntleroy/Southworth/Vashon “Triangle” route when crewing and vessel availability allows.
New Vessels and Jumbo Mark II Conversions
New Vessels – As previously reported, we’ve signed a contract with ABB <https://new.abb.com/us> to serve as the propulsion system integrator for our first five new vessels. ABB brings
extensive experience in marine electrification and will support functional design efforts, shipbuilder contracting, supply of propulsion-related equipment, oversight of vessel construction
– particularly the hybrid electric propulsion system – and crew training. We’ll be working closely with ABB over the next few months to refine our functional design and prepare the
technical volumes, the next steps of the Invitation for Bid, for release later this year. We are still scheduled to deliver two boats in 2028.
Hybrid Conversions – Work continues on the Wenatchee, the first Jumbo Mark II vessel undergoing its long-planned midlife propulsion upgrade. That work includes on-going coordination
with the shipyard on when the conversion will be completed and the vessel ready to return to service.
WSF Community Engagement
Wednesday, Aug. 14 – San Juan County Ferry Advisory Committee meeting
Through this Friday, August 23, Washington State Ferries is hosting an online open house <https://engage.wsdot.wa.gov/sji-draft-ferry-schedule/> as a major part of updating the Anacortes/San
Juan Islands sailing schedule. The site features draft schedules, info on how the rewrite process works and an opportunity for feedback.
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