||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES |||
A message from Steve
Pets become members of our families, providing comfort and unconditional love. Washingtonians rightly enjoy including them in family events and travel. To align with partner transit agencies and public feedback, we rolled out an updated pet policy this week. Pets on leashes are now allowed in all passenger areas, except:
- Indoor food service areas, including onboard galleys.
- On seats or tables.
- About half of the indoor passenger cabin on the galley end of the vessel, which will eventually be marked with signs. Pets may pass through this area while boarding or leaving the vessel but should continue through to pet-friendly areas without lingering.
There will be a six-week education and transition period to help people learn the new rules before they take effect on July 1. Pet owners are responsible for controlling their pets and cleaning up after them. For safety reasons, or if a pet is not behaving appropriately, crew members may ask owners to move their pet to an outdoor deck or return it to their vehicle.
By July, signs will show where pets are allowed (and not allowed):
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Large dogs must remain on the floor, and small dogs may sit on their owner’s lap or stay in a carrier. All other pets must always remain in a crate or carrier. |
Our updated pet policy builds on a trial that began last summer, when pets were allowed in most passenger areas except galleys and on indoor seats. We received helpful feedback from employees and customers. Some supported the trial, while others had concerns about cleanliness, safety and enforcement. This updated policy strikes a balance by allowing pets in certain areas while addressing those concerns. Service animals are always welcome in all areas, as required by law. Livestock must remain in proper enclosures at all times. We appreciate everyone who shared feedback during the trial. Your input helps us refine our policies and create the best possible environment for all who sail with us.
Memorial Day weekend travel
We are launching our updated pet policy in time for our busy summer travel season, which unofficially kicks off this weekend. We expect more than 350,000 riders from today through Monday, May 25. People boarding a ferry in a vehicle for Memorial Day travel should plan for long waits. To avoid the rush, we have several holiday travel tips, like sailing early in the morning or late at night, when wait times for vehicles are much shorter. There is plenty of walk-on capacity on all our sailings with minimal to no wait. Holiday sailings are marked on the sailing schedules for each route.
The busiest sailings will be westbound (or onto an island) today through Saturday, May 23, and eastbound (or off island) Saturday through Monday, May 23-25.
National Maritime Day
Tomorrow is National Maritime Day. This is a time to honor the people who work on the water and keep our maritime system running. It is also a chance to recognize how important maritime work is to everyday life. Mariners help move people and goods safely across our waterways. They also help keep our communities connected. Here in Western Washington, we depend on our waterways. Our ferry system is a key part of that connection and it only works because of the skilled people who run it every day. Please join me in thanking all our mariners. This includes our engine room and deck vessel crews, terminal staff, maintenance and trade workers, and the teams who support operations behind the scenes. Their skill, training and steady commitment are what keep our system safe and reliable. Many are trained to respond in emergencies, and their work often extends beyond routine service to help protect lives on the water. On this day, and every day, I am grateful for their professionalism and dedication.
Some of our newest mariners take part in life-saving appliance, or LSA, training. The exercise was part of a recent Deck New Employee Orientation class in March. This orientation provides them with hands-on training to work safely as a team and respond during emergencies.
Classroom on the Water: Port Townsend Maritime Academy
Our Classroom on the Water program was held on our Port Townsend/Coupeville route for the first time this week. Since Monday, 24 students from Port Townsend Maritime Academy received an immersive, hands-on introduction to maritime careers and our ferry operations. We partnered with West Sound Technical Skills Center (using Port Townsend Maritime Academy as a satellite campus) and the Northwest Maritime Center on this collaborative workforce outreach initiative. While aboard Salish, the students toured many areas of the vessel. They visited the pilothouse, engine room, car deck and passenger cabin. They also took part in fire, rescue and abandon ship drills. We thank our employees and crews for welcoming the students aboard. Their time, knowledge and experience help inspire our next generation of maritime workers. We look forward to bringing Classroom on the Water back this fall with Maritime High School on our Seattle/Bremerton route. For more information, email our Workforce Outreach Specialist Adam Dahl.
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Port Townsend Maritime Academy students participate in a firefighting drill aboard Salish Monday. |
Online community meetings Tuesday, May 26
Have a question for us? Ask it at one of our two online community meetings on Tuesday, May 26. We have two sessions – noon and 6 p.m. Prior registration is required to attend via Zoom. Each meeting will start with a short presentation about our updated pet policy, summer service, 2026 men’s soccer world championship planning, our revised pet policy, and work to build new vessels and install vessel charging infrastructure at our terminals. Most of the time will be dedicated to answering your questions. You can also send questions or comments ahead of time by email. If you can’t attend live, recordings will be posted on our community participation page the day after the meetings.
Both online community meetings will cover the same information, so choose the time that works best for you.
Shrimpers reminded to stay away from our terminals as recreational season begins
Sunday marks the start of recreational shrimp season in many parts of the Salish Sea. This is a good time to remind shrimpers to be aware of our navigational routes. Last year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife issued an emergency rule prohibiting setting crab or shrimp gear from a vessel near our terminals. That rule is now permanent. This type of fishing equipment can cause problems for our ferries. Entanglements have led to costly repairs and hundreds of canceled sailings for our customers. The rule also bans commercial purse seine fishing and gillnetting near our docks. It does not change rules for hook and line angling.
This WDFW map shows where crab or shrimp gear is prohibited at all our terminals. The exception is at Coupeville, where the closure area extends 800 yards out from the dock.
4-month closure of SR 160 near Southworth terminal begins in mid-June
Southworth terminal ferry riders who use State Route 160/Southeast Sedgwick Road should plan for possible travel delays for about four months starting in mid-June. At 11 p.m. Saturday, June 13, the highway will close to all traffic between Blackberry Hill Lane Southeast and Long Lake Road Southeast through October. There will be a signed detour for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. During the around-the-clock closure, crews will build a new bridge over Salmonberry Creek. Before the full closure, prep work will start on Monday, June 1. From 5 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, there may be single-lane closures or flaggers directing vehicles through the area. When a lane is closed, traffic going to our Southworth terminal will stay on SR 160. Traffic going west will use the signed detour that will be in place during the full closure.
Detour routes during the four-month full closure. Motor vehicles will use Jackson Avenue Southeast, Southeast Salmonberry Road and Long Lake Road Southeast. Pedestrians and bicyclists will use Phillips Road Southeast, Southeast Salmonberry Road, Long Lake Road Southeast and Lakeview Drive Southeast.
SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge overnight work finished early
Weekday ferry travelers who cross the State Route 104 Hood Canal Bridge late at night or early in the morning no longer need to plan for overnight closures for roadwork. Contractor crews finished replacing the bridge’s shock absorbers early Tuesday morning. Because the work wrapped up ahead of schedule, the overnight closures planned for Tuesday through Thursday nights this week and next week have been canceled. The bridge will stay open to vehicle traffic. However, it may still close at times to allow marine vessels to pass through.
Sailing stats for week of May 11-17
For the week of May 11-17, our systemwide on-time performance (sailings that left within 10 minutes of their scheduled departure) was 86.3%. By comparison, it was 88.6% during a similar week last year (May 12-18, 2025). To view our on-time performance by month going back to 2017, visit our on-time performance reports page.
Customer kudos
“We are writing (to) express our gratitude to the captain (Brett Bartanen) and crew of the Chelan ferry during the power outage on Wednesday, April 15. We arrived in Anacortes to a terminal with no power to lower the ramps. It required some shifting from one slip to another due to the tides. The captain calmly informed all aboard of the issues at hand. It took some time (about an hour) to work it out so all cars could leave the ferry. We were kept well informed by the captain and the crew managed everything professionally. I didn’t notice any issues with passengers. We all simply waited and knew that we were in good hands. Thanks again!
-Anacortes/San Juan Islands route customer
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