Submitted by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Thanksgiving weekend ferry travel
Give yourself some extra time if you’re traveling with us over Thanksgiving weekend. We expect about 300,000 riders from Wednesday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 30. People boarding in a vehicle should prepare for long lines and waits. Before you leave for the terminal, check the Washington State Department of Transportation mobile app or visit our website. You can see our sailing schedules, live terminal conditions, rider alerts, a real-time map and make vehicle reservations. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, there will be a few holiday adjustments to daily schedules on the Edmonds/Kingston and Point Defiance/Tahlequah routes. These changes are marked online on each schedule by route. The Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth runs will operate on holiday timetables.
The busiest sailings for vehicles will likely be westbound (or onto an island) Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 26-27, then eastbound (or departing an island) Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29-30. Both directions are expected to be busy Friday, Nov. 28.
Suquamish crew honored for rescue
On Saturday, Nov. 15, the United States Sailing Foundation and The Sailing Foundation presented Capt. John McMillen with a letter of commendation for his and the Suquamish crew’s quick actions that helped save two sailors earlier this year on March 8. That morning, Sheridan Ferguson and Brent Campbell were swept off their sailboat during the Possession Point Race. When our crew heard what was happening, they changed course right away. They moved Suquamish upwind to block the strong wind and waves so the responders on scene could safely rescue the sailors. Both were pulled from the water and taken to Edmonds, where they were rushed to the hospital. We are proud of all our crew members and their strong commitment to keeping people safe.
Ferry Riders’ Group
The Washington State Transportation Commission is inviting ferry riders and the public to join the Ferry Riders’ Opinion Group, or FROG. This group gives you a chance to share your ferry experiences and provide feedback that directly helps shape our service, operations and fares. The commission uses FROG to conduct periodic online surveys to gather input. Sign up to be included in all future surveys and help guide positive change here at Washington State Ferries.
Sailing stats
For the week of Nov. 10-16, we completed 99.2% of our 3,059 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 30 cancellations, nine were due to crewing, six because of other miscellaneous reasons, two for schedule resets (when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers) and two due to emergencies.
For comparison, during a similar week last year (Nov. 11-17, 2024), we completed 98.9% of our 2,787 scheduled sailings. Of the 33 cancellations that week, 16 were because of crewing, 14 for tidal currents and three due to schedule resets.
