While other businesses are looking forward to a “nearly normal” tourist season amid softening pandemic restrictions, Washington State Ferries is casting doubt on whether it will be able to operate its Sidney-to-Anacortes ferry this summer.
Spokesman Ian Sterling said no decision has been made on whether the ferry will operate next month or even later this year.
He emphasized that a lot would have to go right for the service to resume between Sidney and Washington state.
The route, which goes between Anacortes and Sidney through the San Juan Islands, has not run since the pandemic shut down non-essential travel between the U.S. and Canada.
Like B.C. Ferries, Sterling said, Washington State Ferries is facing challenges finding enough staff for its vessels.
“And then dealing with active COVID outbreaks and things,” he said.
“And so, until we are able to restore full service domestically, it’s going to be a tough fight to go back to our international [route].”
Washington State Ferries only has one vessel, the Chelan, that can make the international crossing due to international regulations that require specialized equipment, and it’s often called into service to cover other routes.
Sterling said U.S. Customs and Border Protection will also require time to prepare the site and recall personnel.
“For that to happen next month would be pretty tough, although the decision is not final yet,” he said.
The ferry service usually resumes its two-hour service in late March after a three-month winter break.
Sterling said Washington State Ferries’ priority is to get the Anacortes-based service to the San Juan Islands fully restored, as it brings essential supplies to islanders, adding that’s close to being fully operational. Then the ferry service will focus on restoring its southern routes, before it considers the international one.
“We have a plan in the works, but a lot of this is just based on we just don’t have enough people to operate the vessels,” he said. “That’s been a fight now since really the past year. I don’t know where everybody went, but I think it’s more acute in the maritimes – there’s a global shortage of mariners and that existed before the pandemic and the pandemic simply exacerbated it.”
Sterling said the operation is hiring as fast as it can, but it will be months before it’s back to full capacity.
“We’re optimistic that we’ll be coming back to Canada — whether that’s this spring or not, I can’t say. There’s a lot of obstacles in the way, certainly, and other routes that will likely take precedence,” Sterling said. “We’re working on a service-restoration plan, but that’s not been cooked up yet and as soon as it is, then we’ll have more definitive answers.”
Paul Nursey, chief executive of Destination Greater Victoria, said losing any transportation link to the Island would be a blow.
“It would be a shame if that service wasn’t operating — it was pretty much enjoyed by passengers,” he said. “It’s really important to have as many links as possible to the Island.”
But Nursey said since he arrived in Victoria nine years ago, the ferry route has been under scrutiny by Washington State Ferries.
Numbers on the route have fluctuated over the years, but the Chelan, which can carry 1,100 passengers and 124 vehicles, carried more than 135,000 people in 2019.
Washington State Ferries says it’s optimistic state legislators will approve funding for a fleet-renewal process that will see the addition of new vessels and conversion of some of its larger vessels to electric or hybrid power plants.
“We have a smaller fleet than we did even just a few years ago,” said Sterling.
