The Washington State Ferry System is adding more boats to the fleet this summer.
This is part of the updated seasonal ferry schedule to make sure everyone gets where they need to go.
They say the main goal is to make the ferries accessible for everyone, meaning with the extra service, people won’t have to wait in line for these ferries nearly as long.
Right now, there are 15 ferries in service, and soon that number will jump to 18 during the summer months. In total, WSF has 21 operational ferries, but the last three are only rotated in if another ferry is broken.
Dana Warr with WSF said the additional Bremerton ferry service begins June 15, the “Triangle” gets a third boat on June 30, and the Port Townsend/Coupeville line will have increased service every weekend starting July 4.
Warr tells us the International Ferry Route to Canada is also in the works, but that won’t be in the water until 2030.
“That’s very exciting very good news because the less you have to wait the better it is the better your day is,” ferry passenger Kathy Burke said.
This is returning the ferry service to almost full capacity, three years ahead of schedule.
“We understand the struggles that the community and people working have had trying to get back and forth we are excited to bring more boats in,” Warr said.
Some ferry riders, like Marshall, tell us they see a lot of delays and cancellations.
“We wait all the time, especially for the islands, going out to Friday Harbor, that’s the big one. You really have to know your schedules and holidays, anything like that that might be happening,” Marshall said.
Burke tells us the increased service will make traveling much easier.
“It’s just something you learn to live with when you use the ferries and live in Washington,” Burke said.
There can always be unexpected interruptions, so even with the increased service, make sure to check the ferry schedule before you go.
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