Charlie Wells - Herron Island Ferry

[Neil]

The minnow of all ferry routes on the Washington, BC, or Alaska coast has to be the one on this website-
www.herronisland.org/
-to a tiny (300-odd acres) privately owned island. I've never seen a mention of it on this forum. Anyone ever been there? The Charlie Wells looks to be the smallest scheduled car ferry on coastal waters.

[whidbeyislandguy]

Sept 14, 2009 15:30:27 GMT -8 Neil said:

The minnow of all ferry routes on the Washington, BC, or Alaska coast has to be the one on this website-
www.herronisland.org/
-to a tiny (300-odd acres) privately owned island. I've never seen a mention of it on this forum. Anyone ever been there? The Charlie Wells looks to be the smallest scheduled car ferry on coastal waters.

Here is a link I drew it awhile ago.

ferriesbc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=nwf&action=display&thread=2266&page=9

[Jody]

Sept 14, 2009 15:30:27 GMT -8 Neil said:

The minnow of all ferry routes on the Washington, BC, or Alaska coast has to be the one on this website-
www.herronisland.org/
-to a tiny (300-odd acres) privately owned island. I've never seen a mention of it on this forum. Anyone ever been there? The Charlie Wells looks to be the smallest scheduled car ferry on coastal waters.

Funny you should mention her. I've had the pleasure of watching her once. Took a nice morning getaway one day to burn a few hours to myself and ended up at the Key Peninsula Dock. Here's a photo:



As a side note, I was quite interested to note that the beach around here had an amazingly large number of unbroken sand dollars. I picked up more in half an hour of waiting and walking around than I have ever in my lifetime, and that includes six years living on the Oregon Coast.

Anyhow, enjoy!

Jody

[Kahloke]

Dec 14, 2009 19:57:56 GMT -8 Jody said:

First up is the not-so-often mentioned Herron Island ferry, which runs from the privately-owned community on Herron Island to the mainland on the Key Peninsula west of Gig Harbor. The ferry is the Charlie Wells, originally built as the Herron Islander by Nichols Brothers in 1989 and later renamed. The boat is approaching the Key Peninsula dock on a perfect spring morning. As an aside, I found more intact sand dollars at this location than I had ever seen in my life. Apparently, the protected inland waters of Puget Sound are a boon for them.


Enjoy!

[Deleted]

Re:Charlie Wells-Herron Island Ferry
Been living on Herron Island for 23+ years and also worked as a fillin-deckhand on the Charlie Wells ferry.It's a wonderful place to live and work. My husband is one of the captains on the vessel.

[SolDuc]

Last weekend I had the pleasure of watching the mighty Charlie Wells make a roundtrip between Herron and Herron Island. She's a cute little boat that makes a lot of noise underway.

When I arrived she was loading cars for Herron Islans. Here is a picture of her at Low Tide:

MV Charlie Wells by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

Pulling away from dock:

MV Charlie Wells by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

A profile shot:

MV Charlie Wells by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

The Herron dock:

Herron Ferry Dock by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

Coming back to Herron:

MV Charlie Wells by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

And arriving:

MV Charlie Wells by SolDuc Photography, on Flickr

[BreannaF]

Via Craigslist, via a buddy who always seems to e-mail me a copy of everything with the word "ferry" in it:

Part-time (relief) ferry captain (Case Inlet)
HMC Management is the operating company for Herron Island in Case Inlet, South Puget Sound. HMC operates a 65 foot, vehicle and passenger ferry 365 days a year. The ferry operates between the Key Peninsula and Herron Island.

This position requires a U. S. Coast Guard license to serve as Master, Inland Steam or Motor Vessels of 100 gross tons. No new licenses need apply.

The position is "on-call" and will cover absences of regular crew members. 40 hours of paid training are required at the time of hire, and an additional 8 hours every other month (48 hours annually). Random drug testing and background checks required.

This position is open until filled.
Resume and letter of interest may be emailed or sent to

Island Manager
HMC Management
PO Box 119
Lakebay, WA 98349

More information about Herron Island and HMC Management is available at www.herronisland.org .

Location: Case Inlet
Compensation: $25 per hour
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

[Neil]

Sept 23, 2013 16:28:45 GMT -8 BreannaF said:

Via Craigslist, via a buddy who always seems to e-mail me a copy of everything with the word "ferry" in it:

Part-time (relief) ferry captain (Case Inlet)
HMC Management is the operating company for Herron Island in Case Inlet, South Puget Sound. HMC operates a 65 foot, vehicle and passenger ferry 365 days a year. The ferry operates between the Key Peninsula and Herron Island.

This position requires a U. S. Coast Guard license to serve as Master, Inland Steam or Motor Vessels of 100 gross tons. No new licenses need apply.

The position is "on-call" and will cover absences of regular crew members. 40 hours of paid training are required at the time of hire, and an additional 8 hours every other month (48 hours annually). Random drug testing and background checks required.

This position is open until filled.
Resume and letter of interest may be emailed or sent to

Island Manager
HMC Management
PO Box 119
Lakebay, WA 98349

More information about Herron Island and HMC Management is available at www.herronisland.org .

Location: Case Inlet
Compensation: $25 per hour
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Would I be correct in assuming that not a single member of this forum has ever ridden this teeny little car ferry? 65 feet long. Boy. I really need to meet someone on Herron Island so I can get an invite. Hard to imagine a car ferry that would be dwarfed by the mighty Nimpkish.

[Steve Rosenow]

Sept 23, 2013 21:07:39 GMT -8 Neil said:

Sept 23, 2013 16:28:45 GMT -8 BreannaF said:

Via Craigslist, via a buddy who always seems to e-mail me a copy of everything with the word "ferry" in it:



Location: Case Inlet
Compensation: $25 per hour
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

Would I be correct in assuming that not a single member of this forum has ever ridden this teeny little car ferry? 65 feet long. Boy. I really need to meet someone on Herron Island so I can get an invite. Hard to imagine a car ferry that would be dwarfed by the mighty Nimpkish.

I used to ride the Charlie Wells all the time. Years ago I used to live out in that area.

[SolDuc]

Oct 15, 2013 18:15:04 GMT -8 Steve Rosenow said:

Sept 23, 2013 21:07:39 GMT -8 Neil said:

Would I be correct in assuming that not a single member of this forum has ever ridden this teeny little car ferry? 65 feet long. Boy. I really need to meet someone on Herron Island so I can get an invite. Hard to imagine a car ferry that would be dwarfed by the mighty Nimpkish.

I used to ride the Charlie Wells all the time. Years ago I used to live out in that area.

Given how small the ferry is, and how little governance there is behind it, I think that if you approached the crew at a non-busy time (ie. middle of the weekday) and explained to them that you were a ferry fan, and that this ferry was the only one you had yet to get a ride on, and that you wouldn't be getting off at the Island, you could get on. I don't really see a reason not to let you get on if you're just doing a roundtrip and paying your fare.

[Steve Rosenow]

I used to live in the Key Center area, which isn't far from Herron Island.

We had a friend of the family live out on Herron Island at the time, and that's how we rode it.

The problem with Herron Island - and I'm not sure if it's still the same as it used to be when I was younger - is that anybody who was boarding had to be in possession of a guest pass or boarding wasn't allowed.

Silly as it sounds, if you were selling a home on the island you had to call up the Herron Island HOA, let them know in advance - and then provide a guest pass to the prospective buyer - because the entire island is a private community.

[Neil]

The tub toy that became a ferry. Super cute.

[Neil]

A crew person's take on the smallest car ferry to the smallest island served by a car ferry, on the Pacific coast.


dmontesino.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/heron-island-dream-3/