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Post by Kahloke on Jul 12, 2022 11:40:36 GMT -8
Not exactly earth-shattering news, but a King5 news report talks about the alternate service levels for some routes to be with us for the foreseeable future. That means 1 boat service at Edmonds-Kingston, unless a 2nd crew can be found. So likely, it will continue to be spotty there. Port Townsend-Keystone will remain at 1 boat, so no seasonal 2nd ferry service. Seattle-Bremerton remains as 1-boat service, and Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth continue with 2-boat service. Just like BC Ferries, and other transportation industries around the globe, WSF is still very much impacted by the manpower shortage.
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 9, 2022 5:46:22 GMT -8
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Post by northwesterner on Aug 10, 2022 10:58:04 GMT -8
This is essentially a press release laundered by the AP but it is very frustrating to see the vessel shortage framed in the media "as a thing that happened" and not "as a thing that the gov, the legislature, and the agency made policy decisions leading to this outcome."
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Post by wanderlust90 on Aug 10, 2022 13:49:45 GMT -8
[Last Updated: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 02:38 PM] PD/Tah - Route Out of Service Following 6:30PM Departure for Rest of Day For Wednesday, August 10, the Point Defiance/Coupeville route will cancel service, following the 6:30 p.m. Point Defiance departure, for the rest of the day. The M/V Chetzemoka is scheduled for an emergency move to the Port Townsend/Coupeville route due to ongoing maintenance of the M/V Salish. Service will resume, with the M/V Sealth, on August 11, beginning with the 8:30 a.m. Point Defiance sailing.
Customers can view available sailings for the alternative routes, Fauntleroy / Vashon Schedule and Southworth / Vashon Schedule . Updates will occur as more information becomes available.
*** Looks like the WSF Communications person mixed up terminals. Chetzemoka to PT/Coupeville, and Sealth to PD/Talequah. Kennewick unavailable due to being drydocked at Dakota Creek. Interesting to spot Sealth on the South end of Vashon!
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Post by Kahloke on Oct 9, 2022 13:06:44 GMT -8
Here's an interesting article in the Islands Sounder about current ferry woes with WSF and San Juan County. The article also gives a little history on the funding side of things and a bit of a prediction on when we will see the next new ferries. 2027 is now the projected date for Wishkah to enter service (I think that was posted on the Forum elsewhere), but WSF's 2019 long range plan of building 26 new vessels by the year 2040 is not looking too good at this point. www.islandssounder.com/news/ferry-advisory-committee-and-county-council-discuss-ferry-woes/
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Post by SS San Mateo on Mar 31, 2023 14:48:28 GMT -8
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Post by Olympic Ferries on Mar 31, 2023 16:10:46 GMT -8
Hopefully they actually setup the electric infrastructure! They'll have the +1 on BCF for that, since they advertised the capabilities as well on Island-class ships, and have yet to deliver! Am curious how all of that will be installed.
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 17, 2023 18:58:57 GMT -8
Finally, a bill is being presented in Olympia to open bidding for new vessel construction across the country, and not just limit it to Washington shipyards. Maybe with this, they'll finally see some competition and get some legitimate bids for building the next wave of ferries.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 12, 2023 0:07:53 GMT -8
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 22, 2023 13:16:10 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 22, 2023 18:01:55 GMT -8
The conversation of Jumbo Mark II to hybrid vessels came in over budget but will be start this September 2023 with last one to complete by August 2025: This is proof that sometimes talk is not cheap.
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Post by lavalamp on Jul 22, 2023 19:02:41 GMT -8
The bigger news embedded in the story is that the conversions will take longer than anticipated. They were originally projecting 9 months, so they’d have all three JMIIs available in the summer. Now it is looking like 11 months, so that’s going to be a big hit to an already too-small fleet.
Makes you wonder what the next shoe to drop will be. With only 20 boats including just four of the biggest for the next three years something has to give.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 23, 2023 12:20:57 GMT -8
The bigger news embedded in the story is that the conversions will take longer than anticipated. They were originally projecting 9 months, so they’d have all three JMIIs available in the summer. Now it is looking like 11 months, so that’s going to be a big hit to an already too-small fleet. I wonder what is making these conversations take so long because BC Ferries took only few months to a mid-life refit and conversion to duel fuel on Spirit Class.
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Post by WettCoast on Jul 23, 2023 14:47:46 GMT -8
The bigger news embedded in the story is that the conversions will take longer than anticipated. They were originally projecting 9 months, so they’d have all three JMIIs available in the summer. Now it is looking like 11 months, so that’s going to be a big hit to an already too-small fleet. I wonder what is making these conversations take so long because BC Ferries took only few months to a mid-life refit and conversion to duel fuel on Spirit Class. The Spirit conversions took more than a few months. The first Spirit ( SoBC) was taken out of service September 6 2017 and was back in service on 6 June 2018, 9 months exactly. A significant chunk of that time was getting the vessels to & from Poland.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Aug 17, 2023 20:01:54 GMT -8
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 21, 2023 11:31:35 GMT -8
Chelan ran aground? It's been out of service on a pretty regular basis because of lack of crew, so that's not exactly news, but hitting the shoreline sure is. Does anyone here in Washington have more information?
Update: Latest news from WSF. Now I'm really curious how Chelan made contact with the shore yesterday. Hoping more information will be forthcoming.
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 21, 2023 15:44:40 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 21, 2023 16:38:51 GMT -8
Ok, first news article on Chelan's grounding: I guess we will have to wait for later news article for some geographic specifics, written by someone who realizes that islands and passages have names. ....and written from a perspective that isn't referring to "Up" in the San Juan Islands.
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Post by lavalamp on Aug 21, 2023 17:46:35 GMT -8
It occurred in Wasp Passage.
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 22, 2023 5:37:42 GMT -8
It occurred in Wasp Passage. Wasp Passage was my initial thought, too. It's the narrowest channel the inter island ferry transits, so it makes sense that's where it grounded. Bulletin this morning says they're still waiting on getting Chelan towed and getting another vessel in to replace it. My guess is inter-island service will be cancelled for a portion of today, too.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Aug 22, 2023 6:08:37 GMT -8
It occurred in Wasp Passage. Wasp Passage was my initial thought, too. It's the narrowest channel the inter island ferry transits, so it makes sense that's where it grounded. Bulletin this morning says they're still waiting on getting Chelan towed and getting another vessel in to replace it. My guess is inter-island service will be cancelled for a portion of today, too. The SALISH sailed from Port Townsend at 0608 this morning and is heading north. The CHELAN is limping along to, most likely, a drydock. Being pushed by the trusty WESTRAC II.
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FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
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Post by FNS on Aug 22, 2023 9:44:38 GMT -8
The CHELAN and SALISH are united in Anacortes. I guess they're swapping crews and their driving machines. FROM WSF:The Chelan has been moved from Friday Harbor to make way for the Salish and restore Interisland service this afternoon. The Salish is currently en route to the San Juan Islands and will begin service with the 2:15 p.m. departure from Friday Harbor. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Updates will continue to be provided as they become available. This alert was sent on 08/22/2023 at 9:28AM to subscribers of the following routes: Anacortes / San Juan Islands
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Post by Kahloke on Aug 25, 2023 6:11:12 GMT -8
From the Weekly Update posted yesterday: wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries/about-us/weekly-updateWhen this was first reported, I wondered if they had struck Broken Point, that little peninsula that juts out on the north end of Shaw at the eastern end of Wasp Passage. The ferry usually has to turn to go around it, and if there was a low tide (don't know, which is why I'm qualifying it with "if") they may not have swung out wide enough to avoid the grounding. Pure speculation on my part. Perhaps the findings will clarify.
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Post by lavalamp on Oct 3, 2023 14:20:39 GMT -8
From alerts this afternoon:
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 3, 2023 16:29:38 GMT -8
From alerts this afternoon:
What is point of this vessel move?
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