Prepare for long WA ferry waits over Thanksgiving weekend

SEATTLE — Nearly 300,000 people will take a trip on a state ferry over Thanksgiving weekend, and all are likely to encounter a hobbled system and lengthy wait times.

Officials with Washington State Ferries warn travelers to pack their patience if their holiday includes crossing Puget Sound and to consider leaving earlier than they may have otherwise.

The late November rush would be straining any year, but in 2023 it comes as WSF deploys just 14 workable boats out of a fleet of 21. That means several routes will be on reduced service, including Seattle to Bremerton; Fauntleroy to Vashon Island and Southworth; and Edmonds to Kingston.

Beyond the reduced number of sailings, some routes will have smaller boats than riders may remember. Seattle to Bainbridge Island, for example, usually has two Jumbo Mark II ferries, which carry 202 cars. But, with one of those out for a year to be converted to electric power and the other receiving needed maintenance, the route may instead run a boat like the Suquamish, which only carries 144 cars.

A major risk of having so few boats is there are no spares. If even one has any mechanical issues, it could set off a cascade of changes and boat shifting to accommodate. WSF is already warning passengers there could be last-minute schedule changes.

“Sailings may be delayed or canceled with short notice due to WSF’s current lack of relief crewing or an unexpected mechanical issue within the system’s aging fleet,” the agency said in a post this week.

It’s recommended that riders download the WSDOT app, which includes ferry schedules and updates. Routes will be on their holiday schedule.

Kitsap Transit’s passenger-only ferries will not run on Thanksgiving, but will on Friday. The routes between Seattle and Kingston and Seattle and Southworth don’t sail on the weekend; the trip between Seattle and Bremerton runs most of the day Saturday.