Date:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Contact:
Susan Harris-Huether, Sr. Programs Manager, Customer Information and Communications, 206.515.3460
SEATTLE - WSDOT Ferries Division recently announced several weekend vessel moves and subsequent temporary service impacts as some ferries move into shipyard dry-docks for planned inspection, maintenance and repairs, and others return from shipyards to general service. The announcements come as WSDOT delivers on its commitment to provide ferry customers with information, as soon as possible, when vessel dry-docking impacts their commute.
The 188-car Wenatchee moves into Todd Shipyards on Saturday for a four day required dry docking, triggering vessel changes on several routes. The 188-car Walla Walla will move from Bremerton to Kingston to relieve the 202-car Puyallup so it can substitute for the Wenatchee. The 124-car Chelan will move up to Bremerton from Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth (known as the Triangle Route) to relieve the Walla Walla.
The Walla Walla will return to the Bremerton route on Wednesday, February 27, to relieve the Chelan. The Chelan will move north to operate on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands routes, taking the place of the 144-car Kaleetan. The Kaleetan will be moving into Todd Shipyards for required repairs and maintenance.
The 48-car Rhododendron is expected to return this weekend from Todd Shipyards to the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route. The Rhododendron will relieve the 87-car Evergreen State, which will operate as the third boat on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route beginning Monday.
Looking ahead
March 8-15, there will be three 87-car Evergreen State class vessels on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route, when the 124-car ferry Issaquah moves from the Triangle Route to replace the 124-car Kitsap on the Bremerton route. The Triangle Route normally operates with one 124-car and two 87-car vessels. The Kitsap is going into Ferries' Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility for a week of scheduled maintenance.
"The Kitsap needs to have some maintenance work done as quickly as possible to avoid potential long term mechanical problems," says Traci Brewer Rogstad, WSDOT Ferries Division Deputy Director. "We will be re-examining the vehicle allotments on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth routes to ensure optimum capacity during this loss of car space on one of the ferries. We are committed to giving our customers as much notice as possible so they have time to consider alternatives. During this time, the 188-car Walla Walla will serve the Bremerton route, so Southworth drivers might consider the Bremerton/Seattle route as an alternative."
For complete schedule information see www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/service.
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