WSF SAMISH

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry assisted damaged pleasure boat and its crew

The WSF 'Samish' was delayed for hours on March 9, 2024, after assisting a pleasure boat which had got in trouble amid winds of 20 knots with 30 knot gusts and 4-6 feet high seas in the Rosario Strait after taking a wave over the bow, shattering its front windshield. Six people and their two dogs were aboard the boat. Some were injured by the broken windshield. The 'Samish' launched a rescue boat to assist the disabled boat. The U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham also deployed a response boat. After its arrival, the coxswain transferred two crew members to the damaged vessel to assess for first aid needs and seaworthiness of the distressed boat. The ferry slowed down for the response boat and, using its size, created a shield from the wind and elements for the Coast Guard crew on the way to Anacortes. The Coast Guard crew embarked two of the boaters and the two dogs to the boat. The other four were transported to Anacortes aboard the ferry. They were met by the Anacortes Fire and taken to receive further assistance. The crew’s engineer, MK2 Lavarreda, drove the damaged boat and followed the response boat to Cap Sante Marina, where Anacortes Fire reunited the four individuals with those onboard the boat of the Coast Guard. The damaged boat was tied up at the Cap Sante Marina. Report with photos: https://sanjuanislander.com/news-articles/government-news/federal/coast-guard/37289/samish-ferry-crew-and-coast-guard-rescue-6-people-and-2-dogs

Ferry broke down with coupling problems

The Anacortes/San Juan Islands ferry route was operating on an alternate four-boat schedule after the "Samish" was pulled from service because of engine problems which occurred on Aug 6, 2017. The ferry had a problem with a coupling that took the boat out of service until Aug 10. The four-shipschedule will remain in effect until a fifth boat is available to service the route. Because the route has one fewer boat, three sailings have been cancelled — the 8:25 a.m. from Anacortes to Sidney, British Columbia; the 9:45 a.m. from Friday Harbor to Sidney and the noon from Sidney to Anacortes. Several other sailings will have limited space. Reservation holders on any of the canceled sailings will be loaded with reservation holders on the in-service sailings on a first-come, first-served basis.

Ferry back in water soon after corrosion damage

Repairs to the "Samish" in dry dock at Dakota Creek Industries should be completed on Mar 10, and the ship should be back in service soon. The ship was taken out of the water a couple of weeks ago after staff found a hole the size of a quarter on its hull. The cause of that corrosion is not determined, but initial investigations are looking like it was caused by different types of metals interacting. It will go through a couple of sea tests and then go back into service, though possibly not immediately to its same route. It will go at first to the area where it is most needed, but will end up serving the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route eventually. The "Kitsap" was being used instead of the "Samish" out of Anacortes but has space for 20 fewer cars than the Samish. As ferries have been moved around, several other routes in service now have also seen delays and reductions. The "Kitsap" was serving on the Bremerton-Seattle route. The ferry there now has space for 34 fewer cars.