MUKILTEO, Wash. — A large boat will be taken out of the Washington State Ferries (WSF) fleet for the next four weeks.
According to WSF, the 144-vehicle Suquamish, which serves the Edmonds/Kingston route, will be out of service beginning Tuesday. While it's out, WSF will shuffle around two smaller boats.
The 124-vehicle Kitsap will replace the Suquamish, which is a capacity reduction of 20 cars. The Kitsap serves the Mukilteo/Clinton route, so the 90-vehicle Sealth will replace the Kitsap. That leaves the Mukilteo/Clinton route with a capacity reduction of 34 vehicles.
WSF said Tuesday the Suquamish is being taken to Eagle Harbor for planned, required maintenance.
"The Suquamish is being pulled from its route for much-needed maintenance and an engine overhaul," said Dana Warr, a Washington State Ferries spokesperson.
While the boat is out, WSF is working around it.
"It is like checkers, We are moving things around, putting boats where they need to go," said Warr. "Even though there might be some delays they are working hard to keep those boats going back and forth as much as possible."
The changes come after a busy Memorial Day weekend, where visitors experienced wait times of over two hours during peak travel times.
WSF was already struggling with a boat shortage and last weekend marked the unofficial start of the busy summer season.
WSF has 21 boats in its fleet, but without the Suquamish, only 15 are currently in service. To have all routes fully restored, the agency needs 26 boats. According to a contingency plan released earlier this year, new ferries are not expected until 2028.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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