Friday Harbor News

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The Washington State Ferries (WSF) summer 2015 sailing schedule will take effect Sunday, June 14, with a new Olympic Class vessel, additional sailings, vehicle reservations to the San Juan Islands and increased service hours on many routes, the state’s transportation department announced. For the Anacortes/San Juan Islands service, WSF added a fifth vessel, the new Olympic Class 144-car ferry Samish, for more sailings, providing better connections to Anacortes and Friday Harbor during commute hours. Also new this summer, customers can make vehicle reservations to and from the San Juan Islands.

The public is invited to bid “bon voyage” to Washington State Ferries’ (WSF) oldest ship, the 87-car 'Evergreen State', with one last ride from Friday Harbor to Anacortes Sunday, June 29, 2014. Crews will decommission the vessel and retire it from service following this final sailing. The Evergreen State was the first vessel custom built for Washington State Ferries in 1954.“This remarkable ferry has served our customers well for six decades,” said Interim Assistant Secretary for Ferries Division Capt. George Capacci. In the recent past she plied the waters of San Juan County between Anacortes and Sidney B.C. The ferry currently serves the interisland route.

New data will update nautical charts around the country. As sure as spring arrives, NOAA vessels and independent contractors are hitting the seas for the nation's 180th hydrographic surveying season, collecting data for over two thousand square nautical miles in high-traffic U.S. coastal waters. "Nautical charts are the foundation for the nation's maritime economy, and NOAA hydrographers spend months at sea, surveying critical areas to ensure safe navigation for the shipping, fishing, and boating communities," said Rear Admiral Gerd Glang, director of the Office of Coast Survey.

Sea Tow Services International, Inc., a leading professional marine assistance provider in the USA, says that the number of stations transmitting its free Automated Radio Check service in coastal and inland boating areas across the U.S. has risen to over 130 locations. Claimed to be the first and only service of its kind, Sea Tow continues to seek new host stations in its mission to expand this vital boating safety service. Automated Radio Check, which is provided by Sea Tow in association with MariTEL, lets boaters quickly and easily check that their vessel’s VHF radio is working.

The Friday Harbor ferry terminal will get a safety upgrade thanks to a $240,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division (WSF) will use the funding to build a barrier and gate to keep walk-on customers separated from vehicle traffic during ferry loading and off-loading. The project will also include signs to direct foot passengers to the terminal exit, town landmarks, and pick-up/drop-off areas. “Safety is our top priority…

Black Ball Ferry Line is purchasing the business operations of the Victoria Express from Victoria Rapid Transit in a deal announced today by both companies. Terms of the sale were not released. The Harmon family formed Victoria Rapid Transit in 1990, and over the past two decades grew the ferry business to include service to Victoria, Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and Port Angeles. The ferry has also offered numerous private charters for individuals and organizations throughout the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Puget Sound, as far south as Westport and even into Lake Washington. “The Harmon family has built a great company and there is a lot of goodwill among their customer base,” said Black Ball Ferry Line president Ryan Burles.

Work will begin soon to remove the temporary slip at the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal. The project was put out to bid on August 22, 2005 and the contract to remove the temporary slip and construct a tie-up slip was awarded to General Construction Company of Poulsbo. Work is tentatively scheduled to begin on November 28, 2005, and is expected to be complete by the end of February 2006. The slip was always meant to be temporary, as it was built with bare steel that will corrode rapidly in the marine environment. Permit conditions require that WSF remove the slip and that in-water work be completed by March 21, 2006.