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WSF: Ferry customers will experience planned temporary service adjustments
posted 03/01/2008
To complete planned necessary vessel inspections and dry-docking for ferry maintenance, WSDOT will move some vessels on the Seattle/Bremerton, Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth and Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes, the moves will result in some temporary service and capacity adjustments starting March 8. Customers can review the planned maintenance and dry-docking plan by visiting www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/service.
Anacortes/San Juan Islands
34-car Hiyu to operate on San Juan Islands inter-island route
The 34-car Hiyu will replace the 87-car Klahowya on the San Juan Islands inter-island route beginning Monday, March 10. The smallest and most unique car ferry in the WSF fleet, the Hiyu carries 34 vehicles and 200 passengers. The Hiyu’s move to the San Juan Islands was first announced in January, but was postponed when the vessel required more time in dry dock to complete necessary repairs and maintenance.
Even though the winter and spring months see less inter-island traffic than in summer, customers should expect some sold out sailings due to the reduced capacity of the Hiyu. The down-sizing is expected to last through the spring.
WSDOT has worked closely with the San Juan Islands Ferry Advisory Committee to develop a spring schedule that incorporates the Hiyu and other service impacts in the islands. The spring schedule begins on March 30. For the last few weeks of the winter schedule, the following service adjustments apply to the Monday through Friday schedule and will help customers avoid impacts during the busiest parts of the day:
- The inter-island 8:25 a.m. from Friday Harbor will be priority for Orcas and Shaw and space available for Lopez; the 11:35 a.m. sailing from Friday Harbor will not take Lopez-bound traffic. Instead, the 8:05 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. sailings from Friday Harbor to Anacortes will stop at Lopez in route to Anacortes to unload Lopez vehicles and passengers. No Anacortes bound vehicles will be loaded at Lopez.
- Friday Harbor customers who normally take the 8:25 a.m. inter-island sailing to Lopez will also have limited space available on the 8:05 a.m sailing to Anacortes, and those who would normally take the 11:35 a.m. inter-island sailing to Lopez should take the 12:40 p.m. sailing to Anacortes, which will arrive in Lopez at 1:15 p.m.
Seattle/Bremerton
Bremerton schedule revised as 87-car Tillikum operates on the run from March 10-14
The 87-car Tillikum will operate on the Seattle/Bremerton route from Monday, March 10 through Friday, March 14, replacing the 124-car Kitsap while it is at the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility for a week of scheduled maintenance.
"We took a hard look at how we could maintain car and passenger capacity on the routes affected by our maintenance schedule and determined that moving the Tillikum from Fauntleroy and the south end of Kitsap County was the best choice for Bremerton," said Steve Reinmuth, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Ferries Division. "We just have to maintain capacity on this route and balance the load for central and south Puget Sound."
During this time the 188-car Walla Walla will operate with the Tillikum on Seattle/Bremerton, giving the route an increased capacity of seven more cars over the route’s normal vessel assignment of one 124-car vessel and one 144-car vessel. WSDOT has also found a way to ensure that both temporary vessels have Wi-Fi service.
The Tillikum is, however, slower than the Kitsap, so the Seattle/Bremerton schedule will be adjusted slightly to accommodate the smaller vessel and give customers a more predictable temporary sailing schedule. The most significant adjustment will be experienced by customers who usually ride the 5:30 p.m. sailing from Seattle. That sailing will now leave Seattle at 5:45 p.m. Other sailings are adjusted by a few minutes throughout the day. WSDOT has worked with transit agencies to coordinate the temporary schedule changes and we encourage customers to plan ahead, travel early if possible, and avoid discretionary trips during peak travel times for this one-week period.
Customer information staff will be on the route March 4 through March 6 to talk to customers about the temporary service changes and to help customers plan their commute. The Seattle/Bremerton schedule for March 10-14 is available online at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/current/.
Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth
Issaquah out of service March 8-9 for maintenance
On the weekend of March 8-9, the124-car Issaquah will be removed from the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route for fuel tank cleaning. As that leaves two smaller 87-car vessels for the normal weekend two-boat service, a third 87-car vessel will provide extra service Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon.
Since vessel and service changes often cause ferry customers to alter their commuting habits, the normal policy of no refunds for frequent user multi-ride tickets is waived. Customers wanting a refund just need to call Susan Harris-Huether at (206) 515-3460 or e-mail her at Sharris@wsdot.wa.gov
Hiyu to Replace Evergreen State on San Juan Islands Inter-Island Route
posted 01/08/2008
Beginning on January 16, the Hiyu will replace the Evergreen State on the San Juan Islands inter-island route while Washington State Ferries (WSF) takes the Evergreen State out of service for necessary maintenance and repairs. “The Evergreen State needs both main engines overhauled and other long overdue maintenance, including steel replacement along the hull,” said Paul Brodeur, WSF Director of Vessel Maintenance and Preservation. "It is one of the oldest vessels in the fleet and we must complete this work to ensure its ongoing safety and reliability." Depending on drydock availability, the Evergreen State could be out of service until the beginning of spring schedule on March 30. During this time, the Hiyu will operate on the same schedule on the San Juan Islands inter-island route.
Even though the winter months see less inter-island traffic than in summer months, WSF expects some sold out sailings due to the reduced capacity of the Hiyu. The smallest and most unique car ferry in the WSF fleet, the Hiyu carries 34 vehicles and 200 passengers. The Evergreen State’s capacity is 87 cars and 983 passengers.
“We know this will be an inconvenience to our customers and we are doing everything we can to complete this necessary maintenance quickly,” said WSF Deputy Executive Director Traci Brewer-Rogstad. “We plan to closely monitor traffic and to adjust schedules if necessary to accommodate inter-island traffic.”
WSF is working closely with the San Juan Islands Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) to be sure the community is aware of what to expect and to allow the public the opportunity to provide feedback or ask questions through their local FAC representatives. In addition, WSF management will notify commercial users and work with them to help minimize impacts.
“Our goal is to complete this work during the relatively slower winter months so we are prepared when traffic picks up in the spring,” said Brewer-Rogstad. Customers are encouraged to arrive early for scheduled sailings and to check WSF’s Web site for the latest information at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/ or call 1-888-808-7977.
Background
The Hiyu, which has two separate passenger cabins and no elevator, was the inter-island vessel in the summers of 1986 and 1988 and in the Fall/Winter/Spring schedules of 1990-1998 on the San Juan Islands route before becoming a relief vessel. The vessel has been used throughout the system to fill-in for vessels that are out for maintenance and repairs.
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