Motorists awaiting the Bainbridge ferry at the Seattle waterfront (Photo: MvB)
May 1 is the beginning of the 2012 peak season for the Washington State Ferries, and this year the 25-percent peak-season surcharge includes an extra three-percent increase to help the ferry system stay afloat financially. What that means, in dollars and cents, is that a standard vehicle and driver will play $16.40, instead of $12.75, to get from Seattle to Bainbridge or Bremerton. Check the new fares here.
Passenger fares remain the same–the ferry system can almost always handle extra walk-ons. It’s drive-ons, during vacation season, that fill up the boats early and create multi-hour waits.
As of March 25, by the way, the spring schedule has been in effect, so be sure to check on that before you auto-pilot your way to the waterfront and miss your boat by fifteen minutes.
Puget Sound ferry trips are an scenic excursion in themselves. (Photo: MvB)
Ah, Seattle! Gateway to getaways! (Take it, Seattle tourism department, I give it to you free.)
Peninsula Daily News reports that the Port of Port Townsend has won a $1.3-million federal grant for construction of a new passenger ferry, to run between Port Townsend and Seattle. Best of all, it’s got to happen fairly quickly: “Sea trials must be finished by the summer of 2013 or the port will not be reimbursed for the construction of the vessel,” the newspaper quotes Port Director Larry Crockett as saying.
Regular readers of The SunBreak know our stance on this issue: Genius! Port Townsend is a lovely seaside village, with plenty of amusements (i.e., brewers and brewpubs). Also, there’s a castle. But as it takes some two-and-a-half hours to get there from Seattle by car, I haven’t been back since a trip via a temporary passenger ferry in 2008. With the new boat, the crossing should take about 75 minutes, says the Seattle Times. Better.
The Port of Port Townsend still needs a private company to operate the boat, which will likely sail more occasionally than a full-time ferry. (For one thing, there’s only the one boat, and it will need to be maintained and repaired.) “The initial plan is to run the service once or twice a day with a 49-passenger capacity, since a greater amount would require a larger crew and cost more to operate,” reports the PDN.
Even with suggested fares ranging from $20 to $25 one-way, the ferry would make only $1,225 per trip at the most. The idea is to keep the boat “no frills,” but already there’s been push back. What can’t ferry passengers live without? Coffee and Wi-Fi. Conflictedly, the Port of Port Townsend sees the ferry as primarily tourist-driven: 80 percent tourists and 20 percent commuters.
Not since Gilligan’s Island have tourists plumped for “no frills” when they’re considering what’s close to a three-hour tour by water. Instead of $40 to $50 round trip, tourists may be interested instead in Bremerton, the “Port Townsend that’s closer than Port Townsend,” especially once Bremerton, too, is served by passenger ferry. A trip to Bremerton is just over $7, round trip, since the run is operated by the Washington State Ferries.
That said, 2013 is a ways off yet, and Labor Day weekend is fast approaching. If you’re stalled on getaway ideas, Gogobot.com has a few Labor Day outings for you, in and out of town:
Whidbey Island: Close to Seattle, but feels like another world, with top notch dining and shopping stops.
NorthWest Outdoor Center: Kayak on Lake Union and check out the houseboat communities, a superb view of the space needle, and tie up to enjoy clams and chowder at Ivar’s.
Rosario Resort & Spa: Grand hotel from the ‘30s and ‘40s, with gorgeous marina views, surrounding forests, and spa complete with indoor pool.
