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Post by SS San Mateo on Jul 21, 2008 19:36:03 GMT -8
Rough ferry ride across Guemes Channel...
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Post by Canucks on Jul 21, 2008 20:54:26 GMT -8
Woo Hoo Salt Water!  What are these people thinking  . In a few months it will be let's all sue the ferry company for making our cars rusty. ;D |
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Post by Political Incorrectness on Jul 21, 2008 21:45:55 GMT -8
Now if only we could sue the people for stupidity.
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Rhody
Chief Steward
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Post by Rhody on Jun 12, 2010 23:58:55 GMT -8
 MV Guemes |
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Rhody
Chief Steward
Posts: 108
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Post by Rhody on Jun 12, 2010 23:59:29 GMT -8
 MV Guemes |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 25, 2011 16:16:58 GMT -8
An old ferry on the Guemes Island route - from my father's copy of a guidebook at the 1962 World's Fair  |
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Post by Freeland on Dec 26, 2011 14:08:49 GMT -8
Neat picture. I got very familiar with Guemes Island Ferry in 1999, when GTE / Verizon did a Field trial of a DC Generator at one of the Pair Gain Cabinets. Interesting to see what it looked like during Century 21. Looks like dock was located on Q street. I think dock is now on I Street.
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Post by Kahloke on Jul 9, 2012 20:18:03 GMT -8
On Friday, July 6, 2012, I had some extra time to kill before catching the ferry to Orcas, so I went down to the end of I Street to take some pics of the Guemes ferry and terminal on the Anacortes side. Some day I may actually ride that little ferry and go over to Guemes Island. The Guemes Ferry is operated by Skagit County. looking across the Channel at MV Guemes docked on the Guemes Island side  The ferry terminal at the Anacortes side at the end of I Street. This used to be the WSF, and before that, PSN terminal for San Juan Island-bound ferries until they built the current terminal out at Ship Bay in the early 60's. Now, it serves the Guemes ferry and looks quite a bit different than when WSF operated it. The current terminal building seen here in the photos actually looks fairly recent, or recently updated, and Anacortes has a nice little park with good beach access adjacent to the terminal, and a paved path which used to be a railroad spur line. I know this because my cousin and I used to play down there when we were kids visiting our great grandparents who lived a block away from the ferry terminal on H Street. Back then, the rail line was still there.    |
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Jody
Chief Steward
Ferry Foamer
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Post by Jody on Jul 10, 2012 7:21:23 GMT -8
Very nice. It look like a pretty good vantage point from right there. I like Anacortes. It's definitely time to go back there again some day.
Thanks for sharing the photos! Let us know when you get your ride.
Jody
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FNS
Voyager 
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,957
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Post by FNS on Oct 20, 2012 11:39:58 GMT -8
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SolDuc
Voyager
West Coast Cyclist
SolDuc and SOBC - Photo by Scott
Posts: 2,055
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Post by SolDuc on Jun 17, 2013 21:49:10 GMT -8
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 18, 2014 19:44:15 GMT -8
Photo of Anacortes berth #1, but showing the small white dot in the background, which is the MV Guemes. ...just so you know where to look for it.  |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 20, 2014 18:14:16 GMT -8
I did a round-trip on MV Guemes, on morning of July 16, 2014. Simple walk on, stay on, walk off, done. Cost was $3.50 USD, and they didn't take my Canadian coin quarters. I thought it was common practice to take standard coin at par. (the ticket lady was one of the most unimaginative people I encountered on my entire trip) The morning trip from Guemes to Anacortes was full, with lots of walk-ons. Obviously a commuter run. -------------  ...and here's my video: |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 21, 2014 12:56:40 GMT -8
Here is a link to a November 2013 consultant's report on options concerning replacement of the MV Guemes. The report includes interesting ridership statistics, and comparison of those stats to the Lummi Island ferry. For those interested in such things, this might be interesting to you: H E R E |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Jul 28, 2014 18:52:09 GMT -8
A few on-board shots of MV "No Smoking" Guemes. - morning of July 16, 2014 A very simple layout for a small run, plus they found room for a small passenger lounge.    |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 3, 2014 16:27:32 GMT -8
The slips for MV Guemes ("Gwee-Mas") - seen morning of July 16, 2014 ----------- Anacortes side, looking towards Guemes Island  On board, looking at Anacortes  Looking at Guemes Island  -------------- The passenger lounge:  |
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 12, 2014 18:30:48 GMT -8
The brochure for the Guemas Island ferry. - seen in July 2014 Of particular note is the $100 flat fee (plus fares) to get an extra end-of-day sailing.    |
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Koastal Karl
Voyager
Been on every BC Ferry now!!!!!
Posts: 7,747
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Post by Koastal Karl on Aug 12, 2014 19:35:48 GMT -8
I find it interesting they list the round trip time there on the schedule. I wonder how many people actually do round trips??? Like a Mr Horn over and back, lol!
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Post by Low Light Mike on Aug 15, 2014 12:13:40 GMT -8
The mighty MV Gwee-Mas, seen by me in July 2014. Seen from Anacortes waterfront walkway:  Some essential on-board items:    |
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Post by EGfleet on Sept 17, 2014 5:47:11 GMT -8
Replacement, overhaul options on the table for Guemes ferry
Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2014 6:00 am
Joan Pringle---Anacortes American
The Guemes Island community forum tonight will give residents an opportunity to express their opinion on whether to overhaul or replace the aging ferry serving the island as well as other Skagit County government issues.
Expected to attend the meeting are commissioners Ron Wesen, Ken Dahlstedt and Sharon Dillon. They will be accompanied by several county department heads, including Ferry Operations Division Manager Rachel Rowe, Public Works Director Dan Berentson and Sheriff Will Reichardt.
Elliott Bay Design Group, which was hired by Skagit County Public Works to create a ferry replacement plan last year, has recommended starting the process to replace the M/V Guemes immediately. However, members of the Guemes Island Ferry Committee say upgrading the major systems on the vessel will extend its life for nearly two decades.
The 124-foot, 24-vehicle capacity ferry was built in 1979 in Massachusetts.
“The structure is in generally good condition but there’s some things integral to the structure of the vessel that are starting to rot away,” Matt Williamson of Elliott Bay Design Group told the Board of County Commissioners at its Aug. 26 meeting. “For example the engine foundations and housings are becoming corroded and require some repair.”
Williamson told the board when Elliot Bay was hired, it set out to identify the service needs of the community, assess the remaining economic life of the M/V Guemes and estimate the capital and operating costs for replacing it.
“While the overall condition of the vessel is fair, it is recommended that the M/V Guemes not be operated for more than another 10 years without a major overhaul,” the company said in its report. “This is due to the advanced age of the vessel and the high cost of extending operation of the vessel beyond its economic useful life of 30 to 40 years.”
The company came up with three options along with the total cost of ownership for each option for a 23-year period that included vessel construction and overhauls as well as annual maintenance and operations.
The options and 23-year costs:
• Replace the ferry in the next three years following planning and design at an estimated cost of $19.5 million.
• Delay the replacement for 10 years at a cost of $21.5 million.
• Extend the life of the ferry with a major vessel overhaul for $26.7 million.
Based on a similar vessel recently constructed in Texas, the cost to build a new ferry would be $8.4 million, Williamson said.
The second option, to delay replacement, would require a moderate vessel overhaul in the near-term at a cost at just under $1 million.
The major overhaul in the third alternative would include inserting a mid-body extension to increase the carrying capacity by four vehicles and other upgrades that would cost about $4.8 million.
“It is estimated that this option would allow for continued vessel operation for an additional 18 years, at which time a new vessel would enter service,” the report states.
“The analysis presented in this report results in a clear recommendation for selection of option A,” the company’s report states. “Immediate or near term replacement of the M/V Guemes with a new vessel will minimize the overall cost of ownership and provide environmental improvements in vessel operation.”
“We have some serious problems with the report and with some of the assumptions in the report,” Steve Orsini, ferry committee chair, told the commission.
Orsini recommended spending $1 million to modernize the propulsion system and upgrade the electronics on the existing ferry.
“We think that vessel will then be good for another 18 years,” he said. “So we don’t feel that it’s time for a new vessel.”
Revenue for funding any of the options wasn’t explored in the report, but Commissioner Ken Dahlsted said that was the most important factor.
“Who’s going to pay for it and how are we going to pay for it?” Dahlsted said.
State and federal funding should be considered — something the county needs to be looking for right now, he said.
“If the economy strengthens, then opportunities to get construction or capital funding are better,” Dahlsted said. “I think that’s the big challenge is making sure when there is the potential to get some support and funding, we’re ready to go.”
Rowe told the commission the ferry replacement plan was added to the county’s capital facilities plan and six-year capital improvement plan in order to be prepared for possible funding.
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Post by lavalamp on Aug 22, 2017 7:33:10 GMT -8
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jan 1, 2021 21:27:48 GMT -8
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Post by compdude787 on Jan 16, 2021 13:24:57 GMT -8
Wow, I'm surprised they've decided to replace it even though it's only forty years young! If it was a WSF vessel, it would still have 20 years of life left on it.
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Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jan 16, 2021 13:51:26 GMT -8
Wow, I'm surprised they've decided to replace it even though it's only forty years young! If it was a WSF vessel, it would still have 20 years of life left on it. Maybe they wanted to go bigger with a new vessel. |
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Post by Kahloke on Apr 21, 2021 16:34:28 GMT -8
Last weekend was beautiful, so took advantage of the summer-like weather and did a little road trip to Guemes Island via Port Townsend-Coupeville simply because I had never been there before, or had ever taken that ferry before. Guemes is a nice little bucolic island, and I finally checked MV Guemes off as a ferry I have been on.  Didn't get out of the car because of COVID restrictions, but the crossing is only 5 minutes  MV Guemes docked at Anacortes  MV Guemes approaching Guemes Island  Guemes ferry dock  There's a lane on the side of the main road for cars to line up for the ferry. The ferry parking lot is to the left, and that's the general store across the street  |
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What are these people thinking 
. In a few months it will be let's all sue the ferry company for making our cars rusty. ;D
