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News
and Notices:
Guemes Island Public Open House Held January 3, 2023
Skagit County hosted a Guemes Island Public Open House on January 3, 2023 regarding the upcoming Ferry Fare Rate Study
Video (Zoom recording)
2023 Ferry Haul-Out
The next scheduled haul-out of the Guemes Island Ferry will be February 27 through March 19, 2023. The Board of Skagit County Commissioners signed Resolution R20220166 on September 6, 2022 awarding the bid to Dakota Creek Industries for $738,505.
Work items scheduled include spot painting of the hull, house, bulwarks, void spaces, and car deck, routine service on all major equipment, stripping and cleaning of fuel tanks, other minor repairs and maintenance items, and completion of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) dry dock credit.
The vessel's Certificate of Inspection (COI) requires the vessel be hauled out every two years at a minimum with the next dry dock credit due March 31, 2023. The last dry dock period was completed in June, 2021.
Passenger-Only Service
Arrow Launch will provide passenger-only service during the haul-out of the vehicle ferry. The 49-passenger foot ferry operates from the ferry's regular terminals and on the normal sailing schedule. Parking can be a challenge during this time. In addition to their normal service in Anacortes, Skagit Transit operates shuttle bus service on-island for ferry riders.
What kind of work items are scheduled?
During the next haul-out, it is business as usual with routine maintenance expected.
Work items scheduled for 2023 include spot painting of the hull, house, bulwarks, void spaces, and car deck, routine service on all major machinery and equipment, stripping and cleaning of fuel tanks, other minor repairs and maintenance items, and completion of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) dry dock credit.
The last USCG dry dock credit was completed in June, 2021.
Guemes Island Ferry Fueling Schedule
The Guemes Island Ferry will re-fuel every other Tuesday. On fueling days, there will be no second 11:15 a.m. sailing available. For the month of August, fueling days are August 2, 16 and 30. For the month of September, fueling days are September 13 and 27. On these days, the ferry lines could become quite long. Please plan accordingly.
We have moved all scheduled and routine maintenance after-hours. A second 11:15 a.m. run will be available (if needed) all non-fueling days for the rest of the summer. Should an urgent repair need arise that needs to be addressed between 11:15 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., we will do our best to send out notification as early as possible.
Be advised it is not uncommon for the system to have two or three boat waits right now, especially in the late morning/mid-afternoon. Our crew is doing their best to keep the vessel running on-time; however, there are days where we do fall behind schedule due to medical emergencies or other unforeseen issues. We are also training new crewmembers so that we can keep the service going. It is important to give yourself plenty of time to catch your desired sailing.
For those who do not know, a second 11:15 a.m. sailing (also known as a double) is only done if we leave cars behind on either dock after the 11:15 a.m. run.
We hope this information helps you plan how you will ride the ferry for the rest of the peak season. We appreciate your patience.
Want to keep an eye on the ferry waiting lines? Check out our webcams at Ferry Cams (skagitcounty.net). On days a second 11:15 a.m. sailing will not be available, a red sign will be up on the Anacortes dock. You can see it clearly on the camera; if it is not up, a second 11:15 a.m. will be available (if needed).
The Guemes Island Ferry System had a 99% reliability rating in 2021 and completed more runs than were scheduled. Want to know more? Check out our performance metrics from 2021 and stay tuned for up-to-date information for 2022. Read the metrics here.
Guemes Island Public Open House Held July 28
Skagit County hosted a Guemes Island Public Open House on Thursday, July 28 Video (Zoom recording) | Presentation
The Ferry Dock Rehabilitation Project is entering the construction phase.
IMCO General Construction was awarded the contract for $463,934 on June 7, 2021. This project will replace three concrete girders that Skagit County was not able to replace during the dock reconstruction in 2011. These girders are located under the NE corner of the dock, well outside of the area where vehicular traffic drives. These three girders are the main factor in the lower sufficiency rating given to the Anacortes dock. Construction is estimated to begin winter, 2021. Once this project is complete, the Washington State Department of Transportation will re-evaluate the sufficiency rating of the docks during its next bridge inspection.
More information on how WSDOT and the Federal Highway Administration classify bridges.
Related:
Contact
Captain Rachel Rowe
Ferry Operations Division Manager
Skagit County Public Works
Anacortes Terminal - 500 I Ave. Anacortes, WA 98221
Ferry Office: (360) 293-6433
Cell: (360) 333-1496
Direct Line: (360) 416-1466
Fax: (360) 293-1899
rrowe@co.skagit.wa.us
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