Nov. 20, 2025

A message from Steve

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I’ve been thinking about how much Washington State Ferries has to be thankful for this year. We restored nearly full domestic service ahead of schedule, found a shipyard to build our new vessels and saw a real improvement in our number of canceled sailings due to crew shortages. There are dozens of other accomplishments this year that might not make headlines, but they matter. Each one makes your ferry ride a little better, a little smoother. Our recent achievements are thanks to dedicated employees across our organization, with support from Gov. Bob Ferguson and Legislature.

Behind every sailing is a team of people working tirelessly – even during the holidays – to keep our communities connected.

This Thanksgiving, while many are sitting down to turkey dinner or catching up with relatives we haven’t seen in a while, countless employees will be on duty – helping our customers travel safely to their destinations. Their commitment to serving the public – especially during holidays when they could be with their own loved ones – is the foundation of everything we do. That’s what keeps us going. It’s what makes it possible for us to run over 420 sailings every day – even on Thanksgiving. I hope you’ll join me in thanking them when you see them this holiday season.

Thanksgiving weekend ferry travel

Give yourself some extra time if you’re traveling with us over Thanksgiving weekend. We expect about 300,000 riders from Wednesday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 30. People boarding in a vehicle should prepare for long lines and waits. Before you leave for the terminal, check the WSDOT mobile app or visit our website. You can see our sailing schedules, live terminal conditions, rider alerts, a real-time map and make vehicle reservations. On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, there will be a few holiday adjustments to daily schedules on the Edmonds/Kingston and Point Defiance/Tahlequah routes. These changes are marked online on each schedule by route. The Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth runs will operate on holiday timetables.

The busiest sailings for vehicles will likely be westbound (or onto an island) Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 26-27, then eastbound (or departing an island) Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 29-30. Both directions are expected to be busy Friday, Nov. 28.

Suquamish crew honored for efforts in rescue of sailors

On Saturday, the United States Sailing Foundation and The Sailing Foundation presented Capt. John McMillen with a letter of commendation for his and the Suquamish crew’s quick actions that helped save two sailors earlier this year on March 8. That morning, Sheridan Ferguson and Brent Campbell were swept off their sailboat during the Possession Point Race. When our crew heard what was happening, they changed course right away. They moved Suquamish upwind to block the strong wind and waves so the responders on scene could safely rescue the sailors. Both were pulled from the water and taken to Edmonds, where they were rushed to the hospital. We are proud of all our crew members and their strong commitment to keeping people safe.

Capt. John McMillian (center) with Sheridan Ferguson and her father (left center), Brent Campbell and family (right), and Margaret Pommert with U.S. Sailing Foundation (far left).

Join the Ferry Riders’ Opinion Group

The Washington State Transportation Commission is inviting ferry riders and the public to join the Ferry Riders’ Opinion Group, or FROG. This group gives you a chance to share your ferry experiences and provide feedback that directly helps shape our service, operations and fares. The commission uses FROG to conduct periodic online surveys to gather input. Sign up to be included in all future surveys and help guide positive change here at Washington State Ferries.

Sailing stats for week of Nov. 10-16

For the week of Nov. 10-16, we completed 99.2% of our 3,059 scheduled sailings. This figure is separate from on-time performance. Of the 30 cancellations, nine were due to crewing, six because of other miscellaneous reasons, two for schedule resets (when a boat is so far behind schedule, we cancel a sailing to get it back on schedule, providing predictability for customers) and two due to emergencies.

For comparison, during a similar week last year (Nov. 11-17, 2024), we completed 98.9% of our 2,787 scheduled sailings. Of the 33 cancellations that week, 16 were because of crewing, 14 for tidal currents and three due to schedule resets.

Customer kudos

“I do not recall his name, but he gave excellent information at the Port Townsend terminal when we needed it.  The ‘ticket booth crew’ there is also very friendly and humorous.”

-Port Townsend/Coupeville route customer

Next Weekly Update will be Thursday, Dec. 4

There will be no Weekly Update on Thursday, Nov. 27. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving. We’ll catch up in our next Weekly Update on Thursday, Dec. 4.

Steve Nevey
WSDOT Deputy Secretary for Washington State Ferries