Did you Know You Can Get Married Aboard A WSDOT Ferry?

Happy Valentines Day folks. It's too late for this year, but if you really want to make your V-Day special, and official with your significant other, maybe you should consider getting married on a Washington State Department of Transportation ferry.

Delayna, a local ferry commuter, met her
husband at the Kingston ferry terminal. Photo
courtesy of WSDOT.

WSDOT officials say that, with more than 66,000 people riding ferries everyday, finding love on the boats happens fairly often. And many people want to get married where they first met so weddings actually take place on ferries now and then. In fact, over 955 "special celebrations," including weddings, have taken place aboard Washington State Ferries since 2011.

If you think this might be a good idea for your special day, there are a few things to consider before getting hitched on the water:

Plan to bring your own officiant. While the captain says what goes on the ship, they aren't legally allowed to perform a wedding so you will need someone who can.

Plan to eat the food available at the sSDnack bar. No outside food or alcoholic beverages is allowed on board but there is a good variety of snacks and drinks available in the galley.

Don't expect your ceremony to be private. All ferry rides are open to the public so you could encounter random strangers celebrating with you or photo bombing your ceremony.

And one more thing, prepare to possibly be upstaged. Pods of whales have been known to swim near ferry boats, which could have wedding-goers watching them instead of you.

WSDOT Wants Your Input on Public Transportation In Washington

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is looking for your input on the draft Washington State Public Transportation Plan.What is the Public Transportation Plan? It's a blueprint to help guide decisions and integrate all modes of public transportation to better meet the needs of all over the next twenty years.

And, for the first time, when this plan refers to "public transportation," it's not just talking about buses. In this instance, public transportation means walking, bicycling, carpooling, car-sharing, ferries, buses; anything that's not a single person in a vehicle driving alone.

After reviewing the plan, WSDOT asks that you take their survey on the Washington State Public Transportation Plan, public transportation in our state, and what you'd like to see improved in your area's transportation system. You can take that survey online here.

Ferry Gets A Second Use- As A Fish Taxi

The Spokane Tribe of Indians and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife used the Keller Ferry to release Kokanee Salmon in order to improve fish survival rates.

Due to the early warm weather, water temperatures at all the usual release locations in streams and along the shore were too warm, which can kill the fish.

About 300,000 juvenile Kokanee were released in the center of the river channel in early July where the water temperatures were cooler.  And it all happened without disrupting ferry service and providing a show for passengers.

U.S. Transportation Chief Gets Schooled On WA State Ferries

Washington State got a little love from U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx yesterday, as he took a ride on ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island.

Foxx was in our state at the invitation of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who says a special federal fund for ferries is under siege in Congress, affecting Washington, New York, and North Carolina, among other coastal states.

While we're not overly concerned on this side of the state, apparently the financial outlook for the nation’s largest ferry fleet of ferry boats is pretty bleak. Stands to reason though considering that's the case for all of the state's transportation system, though.

Here's more on Foxx's visit to the Evergreen State and his reaction to the ferry ride.

Investigation Shows That Washington Ferry Wasn't Overloaded

A state investigation has found that a Seattle ferry that was forced to turn around before a preseason
Seahawks football game last month wasn’t overloaded, according to an article in the Spokesman-Review.

The ferry Cathlamet was en route from Bremerton to Seattle on Aug. 15 when the captain returned to dock over fears that it was overloaded by nearly 500 passengers. Some 484 passengers left the vessel before it disembarked again for Seattle.

But a report from the Washington Department of Transportation, released Monday under a public records request, said video surveillance showed about 1,073 passengers boarding before the ferry left Bremerton – below the boat’s capacity of 1,200, and well below the 1,684 passengers officials believed were on board.

The investigation suggested that a malfunctioning hand-clicker used to count the passengers was to blame for the erroneous count.

Keller Ferry Out Of Service Until Further Notice

Thanks to the Spokesman-Review
for the use of their map.

The Keller Ferry across the Columbia River on State Route 21 is out of service until further notice.

Water is seeping into one of the Sanpoil’s internal compartments through a hairline crack below the waterline. 

Divers from the vessel builder, Foss Maritime of Seattle, inspected the boat yesterday and located the crack but have not determined it's cause.

WSDOT is working with Foss Maritime to determine what repairs will be required.  There is no estimate on costs or when ferry service will resume.  Drivers will need to use alternate routes to reach their destinations.

DOT Accidentally Tweets That Ferry Sank

Oops, not a funny April Fool's Day joke! Tweets by the Connecticut Department of Transportation accidentally went live when they were only supposed to be used as a test. Unfortunately, those tweets came out over a couple of day's time and said that a ferry on the Connecticut River had sunk, and another said it had floated out to sea.

The BlogJam explains how it happened.

A Crazy Number of Bangladeshis Try to Get Home Following Ramadan Using Any Method They Can

I don't want to hear anyone complain about having to stand on the bus the rest of the day. This is some crazy video out of Bangladesh as thousands of people cram into ferries and trains to return to their home villages following the holy month of Ramadan.

The amount of people on the trains is truly astonishing. Guess folks there aren't familiar with the word "liability." And, oh yeah, sorry but you have to watch a short commercial before the video will start :(

Celebrate Inaugural Run of the New Keller Ferry

You know how new ships get a bottle of champagne broken across their bow? Well, that's what's going to happen for the inaugural run of the new Keller Ferry next week, and you're invited to be there. The 116 foot long boat, named the Sanpoil, will go into service crossing the Columbia River next Wednesday, August 14.
Everyone is invited to join the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and Washington State Department Of Transportation representatives as they formally Christen the new 20-car ferry. In addition, members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will provide a blessing for the new boat.

The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, August 14 at the Keller Ferry south shore terminal (16 miles north of Wilbur, WA on SR 21). If you go,  carpooling is strongly encouraged as parking at the terminal is extremely limited.

Following the ceremony and public viewing of the new boat, the Sanpoil will begin her regular service, crossing the Columbia River (Lake Roosevelt) between Lincoln County and Ferry County on SR 21. The ferry will be in operation seven days a week, from 6 a.m. until midnight.

Construction of this new ferry vessel was made possible through a funding partnership between WSDOT and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

The Sanpoil will replace the Martha S., which has served the route since September 1948. The

Keller Ferry To Be Out Of Operation For 5+ Weeks

If you use the Keller Ferry across the Columbia River, you better start planning now for a five week disruption in service that starts July 8. service to be disrupted for terminal construction


To get the new ship online that will be taking over for the old Keller Ferry, the Martha S., ferry service will be suspended for close to six weeks beginning July 8. Ferry service will resume with the new vessel August 14, coinciding with the maiden voyage of the new vessel.

Since the new vessel is wider and sits higher in the water than its predecessor, parts of the terminals and ramps must be rebuilt. This work requires the terminals and existing ferry to be taken out of service. During the disruption, drivers will need to use alternate routes such as State Route 25 to reach their destinations.

Assembly work continues on the new ship, the Sanpoil. The pilot house is in place and electrical, hydraulic and drive systems are being installed. The vessel will be put in the water mid-July for testing and crew training.

A special christening ceremony and tribal blessing for the new vessel are scheduled for Aug. 14. Following the ceremony, the Sanpoil’s inaugural sailing will mark its entry into regular service.

The current vessel, M/V Martha S., has performed beyond expectations for over six decades, said Frucci. The final run for the Martha S. will be Sunday, July 7, after serving on the route for nearly 65 years.

Wide Load: Slow Drive Across Two States

At our monthly Board meeting yesterday, a staff member from WSDOT talked about the journey of part of the new Keller Ferry boat from Oregon to it's new home on the Columbia River near Grand Coulee earlier this week.

The moving of the hull by semi was called a "super load" (versus the controversial mega loads of last year) due to its size. The trip was an arduous one at a top speed of 14 miles per hour across two states (reminds me of a trip through three states I took on a tiny spare tire last summer). The piece was so big that it had to go through Portland at night last Friday so as not to disrupt traffic.

The new boat is called the "Sanpoil." Sanpoil is the Anglicized form of the name given to the Columbia River, as well as to the ancestral and current native residents of the area it will serve. Parts for the boat were made in Rainier, Oregon and the whole thing will be assembled onsite near the river. The boat is expected to be launched in July 2013 and will replace the current vessel, the 65-year-old Martha S.

All The Area's Transportation Happenings For The Week

You can tell it's allegedly spring in the region, the transportation projects and public meetings are firing up like crazy. The Spokesman-Review's "Getting There" column looks at work on Francis Avenue and US 195, as well as public transit meetings being kicked off and the hull of the new Keller Ferry making it's way across the state.

A Look At The New Keller Ferry Under Construction

Some pretty cool pictures on the Washington State Department of Transportation's blog about construction of the state's newest ferry boat, which will serve right here in Eastern Washington.

 The “Sanpoil,” the new ferry vessel for the Keller Route across the Columbia River, is being built at a Longview shipyard right now.

It reached a major construction milestone on December 11 that involved two cranes and a 20,000-pound section of the boat.

Here's what's happening and when the boat will be in service.

Gubernatorial Debate Hits On Transportation Issues

Last night's Presidential debate may not have dealt with transportation (except for minor references to gas prices) but the final Washington Governor’s debate was also held Tuesday night and the candidates did discuss a couple transportation topics.

Here’s the transcript of an exchange about tolling and light rail, from Transportation Issues Daily.

And also from Transportation Issues Daily, here’s the transcript of a question about reforming and funding the ferry system.

Original Plan Was To Get Rid Of Ferries, Build Bridges Across Puget Sound!- Link Fixed Now

Thanks to @Charles Hansen for sending me the article below. When I was a kid, my folks used to take us on all kinds of summer vacations and adventures on the west side of the state that required riding the ferry. And with summer on the way, you may be planning your own vacation involving a ferry across Puget Sound.

If things had gone as planned though, that wouldn't have been an option today- because there were plans in place at one point to replace the ferries with a series of bridges that would cross Puget Sound!

Crazy?? Well, it doesn't seem like the most feasible option by today's standards. This article lays out the whole plan to only use ferries as a temporary measure and includes a 1965 map of the proposed cross-sound bridges.

Who Roller Skates On A Ferry Boat?

Um, I guess its been a while since I've been on a ferry, because I didn't remember them as being places of vice and bad behavior. But the Washington State Patrol says stuff going on is so inappropraite on boats that they're asking for a bill to control behavior on ferries.

Here's a sample: spitting, littering, urinating or defecating in places other than approved plumbing fixtures (ew- really??), carrying flammable liquids, roller-skating (on a boat?? Must be better roller-skaters than me), gambling (gotta pay for your fare somehow), and trying to pass oneself off as a ferry worker. Okay, the last one I have really no clue about.

Surprised? I sure was. Here's the rest of the story from the Spokesman-Review.