WSF Addresses Today’s One-boat Service in San Juans

Following is an official statement by WSF to key stakeholders. This statement was received by CNL2 at 9:41 a.m.

WSF is experiencing service disruptions, for different reasons, around the system this morning, especially affecting service to the San Juan Islands.  We either have resolved, or are working on resolving them, but here are explanations.

• The Yakima, currently one of the four vessels assigned to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes went out of service last night due to issues with all six of its propulsion generators and drive motors.  Its engine room crew and Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility staff have been working on the issue all night, but the vessel remains out of service.  As soon as it is repaired and successfully completes sea trials it will be returned to service.

• The morning crew of the San Juan Islands’ Interisland vessel takes the Yakima to Friday Harbor, so with the latter out of service, Interisland service has been canceled until we get the crew to Friday Harbor on another vessel – we expect this to be a single missed roundtrip.  Repeated calls to the private company with which we’ve contracted to provide crew shuttle service from Anacortes to Friday Harbor went unanswered.

• The Samish, another of the four vessels currently assigned to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes is out of service with an engine issue.  Staff from the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility are on their way to assist with repairs, but with travel time, the vessel is likely to be out of service for several hours.

• Until crew get to the Interisland and the Yakima and Samish can be repaired, this puts the San Juan Islands on one-boat service.  When the Interisland boat is crewed, we may use it to move customers from Friday Harbor to/from Anacortes, rather than resuming interisland service, to get people with medical and other appointments to the mainland.

• Due to a late relief request on the Pt. Defiance/Tahlequah route, followed by another late request when the first was filled, the first two roundtrips on the route were cancelled this morning.  The route returned to service with the 6.45am sailing from Pt. Defiance.

• Due to a late relief request on the Clinton/Mukilteo route, the first roundtrip of one of its two vessels was cancelled.  The second boat returned to service for its second, 6am, sailing.

We fully understand the impacts of these service disruptions on our customers, especially those in the San Juan Islands who rely on us for access to the mainland.  Everyone is working hard in their respective areas to get the boats repaired and crewed as quickly as possible.