If you thought it was time to go ahead and make a reservation for summer travel onboard the state ferry system, well, you’re right, and your wrong.
Right, because this normally would be the point in time where 30 percent of any summersailing in the San Juans would be available for reservations, and wrong because the reservation system for summer sailings isn’t working, or at least not working the way it should.
Troubleshooting and repairs are expected to take at least one week, according to Lynne Griffith, WSF assistant secretary, who made the statement on April 16.
“I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience this causes our customers and the frustration that many folks felt this morning when they tried to make a reservation,” Griffith said in a press release. “Whenever we launch a new program for the public I expect it to work, so I am looking into what happened and how we can ensure this does not happen again.”
Meanwhile, the 90-auto-capacity Sealth is expected to remain in the San Juans through the remainder of the spring schedule, reducing capacity by a combined 500 vehicle-spaces a day on sailings to and from Anacortes and Lopez and San Juan islands. Orcas is unaffected by the substitution, which will allow three other ferries to rotate through WSF’s Eagle Harbor maintenance facility prior to the summer season.
The glitch affects only reservations for the summer schedule, which goes into effect June 14. Sailings that appear on the spring schedule (ending June 13) remain available. Reservations are available for travel on the Anacortes-San Juans route, the international route (Anacortes to Sidney) and the Port Townsend-Coupeville route.
By design, reservations become available two months ahead of each change in the seasonal sailing schedules, although the amount of space available for vehicle reservations differs on each of WSF’s three reservation-ready routes.
To create, change or cancel a spring reservation, customers may go online or call WSF Customer Service at 1-888-808-7977.
