Washington State Ferries cancels more sailings Friday due to staffing shortage

Grappling with a lack of Coast Guard documented crew and several vessels in need of maintenance, Washington State Ferries (WSF) canceled even more ferry sailings Friday on several routes.

On Wednesday, WSF canceled a total of 16 sailings on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route due to a lack of crew on the #1 Chelan. The cancelations continued into Thursday for the route and then rippled across the entire ferry system Friday with more sailings suspended and several routes dropping to one-boat service due to lack of crew.

The following sailings have been canceled Friday:

Mukilteo/Clinton: 8:00 am, 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:05 pm, 4:05 pm, 5:05 pm, 6:05 pm, 7:05 pm, 8:00 pm from Clinton. 8:30 am, 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:35 pm, 3:35 pm, 4:40 pm, 5:40 pm, 6:40 pm, 7:35 pm, 8:35 pm from Mukilteo.

Edmonds/Kingston: 5:30 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 8:40 a.m., 10:20 a.m., 11:55 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:10 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 6:10 p.m., 7:45 p.m., 9:10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. from Kingston. 6:10 a.m., 7:55 a.m., 9:35 a.m., 11:05 a.m., 12:40 p.m., 2:25 p.m., 3:55 p.m., 5:25 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:30 p.m., 9:50 p.m. and 11:10 p.m. from Edmonds.

Seattle/Bainbridge: 7:05 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:25 a.m., 12:20 p.m., 2:05 p.m., 3:50 p.m., 5:35 p.m., 7:20 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. out of Bainbridge. 7:55 a.m., 9:35 a.m., 11:25 a.m., 1:10 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. out of Seattle.

Point Defiance/Tahlequah: Out of service.

The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route will also be operating on a reduced schedule Friday, and riders should expect longer wait times. New ferry reservations for the San Juan Island are currently closed, according to WSF, and all passengers with existing reservations impacted by the canceled sailings will be prioritized and loaded on a first-come, first-served basis. Stand-by space is expected to be extremely limited.

The staffing shortage has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and staff quarantines. But officials also emphasize they have had trouble hiring qualified crew. WSF said in a tweet Friday that it had hired over 100 new crewmembers in 2021.

"Like many industries, the maritime sector, both locally and internationally, is facing a shortage of experienced employees and many marine transportation systems are dealing with a staffing shortfall," said said WSF Assistant Secretary Patty Rubstello in September. "We continue to recruit new employees, but we’re struggling to find qualified mariners."

Additionally, the vaccine mandate for state workers could put more strain on staffing levels. All employees are required to show proof of vaccination by Oct. 18 or they could face "non-disciplinary dismissal" for failure to meet job requirements.

The state's ferry fleet was already stretched thin over the high-volume summer months and forced to use smaller-sized vessels after the Wenatchee, which can hold 202 vehicles, was taken out of service following an engine room fire in April. The loss of the larger vessel had "cascading effects" across the entire ferry system, leading to reduced service and longer wait times for riders.

Along with longer wait times and possible canceled sailings, Washington's ferry riders should also be prepared to pay slightly more for sailings after a 2.5% fare increase for both vehicle and walk-on passengers took effect at the beginning of October. The increase was approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission earlier in the summer, and another 2.5% increase will go into effect in Oct. 2022. In total, drivers will pay 80 cents more in fares by the end of the two-year period while walk-on passengers will pay an additional 40 cents.