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Edmonds-Kingston shuffle: 64-car ferry replaces 202-car boat, for now

Published 12:15 am Monday, September 25, 2023

By Andrea Brown

In this photo posted to the Washington state Department of Ecology website and taken by the U.S. Coast Guard, people watch as emergency crews respond to the Walla Walla passenger ferry, which ran aground near Bainbridge Island west of Seattle, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (Lt. Cmdr. Brian Dykens/U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

In this photo posted to the Washington state Department of Ecology website and taken by the U.S. Coast Guard, people watch as emergency crews respond to the Walla Walla passenger ferry, which ran aground near Bainbridge Island west of Seattle, Saturday, April 15, 2023. (Lt. Cmdr. Brian Dykens/U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

EDMONDS — The boat shuffle is in full swing with the 188-car Walla Walla out of service for four weeks on the Seattle-Bremerton route.

It has hit home, with the 64-car Salish ferry taking the place of the 202-car Puyallup on the Edmonds-Kingston run.

The Salish is “temporarily” assigned, according to Washington State Ferries.

Waits on Friday and over the weekend were several hours on the Edmonds-Kingston run. On Monday, crew shortages delayed the start of the Salish until 7 a.m.

In the boat shuffle, the Puyallup is pulling duty on the Seattle-Bainbridge Island route. The 144-car Chimacum is filling in for the Walla Walla on the Seattle-Bremerton route.

Two weeks ago, the Edmonds-Kingston run was down to one boat for two days after mechanical issues docked the 188-car vessel Spokane. The repairs were completed Sept. 15. The Spokane is back in service, carrying the biggest load on the run.

The Mukilteo-Clinton route was not affected by the recent boat shuffle, but crewing shortages led to long waits the weekend of Sept. 16 and 17.

The ferry system’s fall sailing schedule has started, with minor tweaks and fewer late night sailings on some routes.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.

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