Submitted by Washington State Ferries

What happens when a ferry goes out of service and there are no relief vessels available to take its place? How Washington State Ferries would handle this scenario and various other service disruptions are outlined in the Summer Season Service Plan released on May 21. It can be viewed at www.bit.ly/WSFSumSvcPlan.

Summer is WSF’s busiest season by far, presenting many challenges for the system. Compared to winter, there are roughly 50 percent more passengers onboard state ferries in summer, and only 18 percent more hours of service. That means every terminal is more crowded and lines are inevitably longer.

“Our crews work really hard each summer, on the boats, helping customers at terminals and working maintenance shifts overnight,” said WSF head Amy Scarton.