Washington State Ferries resumes full four-boat service to San Juan Islands ahead of Thanksgiving holiday

Following over a month of longer wait times from reduced service, Washington State Ferries (WSF) has resumed its normal fall sailing schedule for the San Juan Islands.

Due to an ongoing crew shortage, WSF was forced to cut down service on several routes in October to provide more reliable service. That service reduction caused the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route to decrease to three-boat service and also suspend vehicle reservations.

Four-boat service on the route began again on Nov. 19, although Monday saw one inter-island sailing canceled in the evening hours and more daily cancelations could occur. Vehicle reservations still remain temporarily suspended and existing reservation holders will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Longer wait times are expected especially as more Washington residents travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. WSF advised customers to arrive 60 to 90 minutes before departure or take an early morning or late night sailing to avoid crowds.

WSF said it plans to restore service on a "route-by-route" basis as it continues to hire and train more staff. The agency has hired over 150 crewmembers to replace staff lost through retirement and staff forced to resign after the state's vaccine mandate went into effect last month.

"We know and understand that our reduced schedules are causing many challenges," said Patty Rubstello, head of WSF, in a news release. "We are working hard to recruit new employees so we can restore service on a route-by-route basis. Recently, we’ve been able to add sailings nearly every day."

Due to staffing issues and travel restrictions, WSF has not added any international sailings to British Columbia back on the schedule since the beginning of the pandemic. Service on Sidney/Anacortes ferry will remain suspended until spring 2022.