Strong winds caused a complete closure of the Port Townsend/Coupeville ferry route on Nov. 26.

“Unfortunately, as with how much snow falls on the pass, this is one of those cases where Mother Nature is in charge of our transportation routes,” Washington State Ferries Communications Director Ian Sterling said.

Even though Sterling described the winds in downtown Seattle as being “as still as can be,” he noted the Port Townsend/Coupeville ferry route is particularly vulnerable to closures due to the weather, both because of how exposed the route is to the elements and how small its ferries are.

“The good news is, as always, we have alternate routes, but the bad news is, we know they’re not as convenient,” said Sterling, who recommended the Edmonds/Kingston and Mukilteo/Clinton routes when the Port Townsend/Coupeville route is down.

Sterling said the Port Townsend/Coupeville route, which already is down to one ferry, was canceled for Nov. 26 because of severe winds and resultant rough seas. He said such shutdowns are not uncommon.

Following the Nov. 26 closure, Sterling said conditions would be reassessed at each scheduled departure and status updates would be provided prior to each of those scheduled departures.

“If service does resume, reservation holders will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis,” Sterling said. “Those without reservations will be loaded on a space-available basis.”

Sterling warned those without reservations could be turned away due to limited space in the vehicle holding areas. However, if they’re unable to travel, Sterling assured reservation holders they would not be charged no-show fees.

The cancellation of service follows the loss of one ferry to a grounding at the Keystone Harbor this summer and multiple incidents which involved crab pot lines both this summer and last summer, with a single crab pot line taking a ferry out of commission for months in 2017.

WSF government relations director John B. Vezina had observed that the Port Townsend/Coupeville route seemed especially prone to crab pot lines being placed in the path of vessels during crabbing season, with most of those pots being placed on the Port Townsend side.

The all-day closure of the Port Townsend/Coupeville route came the same day Washington State Ferries moved the general drop-off/pick-up area at the Kingston Terminal to a new location, and reminded riders on the Edmonds/Kingston route about it.

More details on the Kingston Terminal, and updates to each of the ferry route schedules, can be found online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedule/bulletin.aspx.