Crew shortages force Washington State Ferries to make cutbacks on ferry routes across system 

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Washington State Ferries has announced it will cut back the number of ferry sailings and reduce service on most routes as the ferry system continues to struggle to find enough crew members to work on the boats.

WSF said sailing schedules will be cut back starting Saturday, Oct. 16.

Ferry officials said the cutbacks “will help offer more predictable and reliable service systemwide in the face of crewing shortages due to a global shortage mariners that has been worsened by the pandemic.”

Two-boat service will be cut to one ferry only on the Edmonds-Kingston, Seattle-Bainbridge, and Mukilteo-Clinton routes, starting Saturday.

Other routes in the system that have three or four vessels will also lose a vessel, and drop to sailings served by two or three boats.

In an alert Wednesday to ferry travelers, WSF said: “The change comes as the system is exercising maximum effort to crew its sailings in the face of a global shortage of mariners that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.”

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked hard to maintain reliable service, completing the vast majority of sailings,” said Patty Rubstello, head of Washington State Ferries. 
 
“However, to better reflect the service we can currently provide and to minimize last-minute cancelations due to a lack of crew, we made this difficult decision to adjust our schedules,” Rubstello added.