Ferry riders, hope for the best, prepare for the worst

Published 1:30 am Saturday, May 26, 2018

MUKILTEO — Ferry riders, brace for more than waves, wind and “wow” scenery.

Summer means crowded terminals and a sea of potential problems with the aging fleet of boats.

“You could end up having to wait a lot longer than you anticipated,” said Ian Sterling, Washington State Ferries spokesman.

There is a plan in place when things go awry, and it’s outlined in the ferry’s summer service plan that’s online at www.wsdot.wa.gov.

“It explains our decision-making process,” Sterling said. “There are any number of reasons a boat goes out of service.”

The first step is to pinpoint the issue and how to fix it, and this could mean delays. “It’s like when something is wrong with your car. You need to know how serious it is.”

But riders could end up the creek without a paddle if things go horribly wrong and a boat can’t be fixed.

There’s a backup plan, but not a backup boat.

“People think if a boat goes out on their route, we can steal one from someplace else,” he said.

Right now, there’s no such boat.

“We don’t have a backup boat right now … It’s already in action,” he said. “We have a boat with extensive corrosion that needs a whole bunch of work so it’s in the shipyard — it was built in 1967, in case you are curious. It won’t be back until about September, so our backup boat it is.”

It illustrates the need for new ferries, he said. There’s one under construction and the agency is looking to get another one built “as quickly as we can,” Sterling said.

Price is an issue. Ferry boats are $140 million apiece, he said.

Ridership increases every year.

“About 25 million people is what we carried last year and there’s no sign of slowing down,” Sterling said. “Especially Mukilteo-Clinton, it’s kind of maxed out, especially during the commute hours and on weekends.”

Compared to winter, about 50 percent more passengers are on state ferries in the summer.

Sterling advises passengers to walk on, if possible.

“Rarely do we fill up to capacity if you walk on,” he said. “Driving is where you see those long lines.”

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