WSF status: Bainbridge, Edmonds and Vashon routes out of service, five more running short
Washington State Ferries opened Monday short of engine-room crew on almost every route. By 10:43 a.m. PDT, WSF's own notices had Seattle/Bainbridge, Edmonds/Kingston and Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth out of service and the other five routes running fewer boats or warning of more cancellations. The board below reads WSF's official alert feed from your browser and redraws itself every five minutes, so it stays useful after this article was written. Further down: the 22 Edmonds/Kingston departures that a railroad closure removes on Tuesday night, whatever happens with the crews.
Every Washington State Ferries route, read live from WSF
One line per route. The light and the label come from the wording of the notices WSF has posted today; the text under each route is WSF's latest notice, unedited. If WSF's feed cannot be reached, you see the snapshot taken at 10:43 a.m. PDT on Monday, October 5.
Systemwide · 5:26 a.m.Washington State Ferries is currently experiencing crewing openings on several routes. Management is aware, and working on options. Serious disruptions are expected today. Updates will occur when more information is available
Seattle / Bainbridge Island
Out of service7:58 a.m.Due to a shortage of crew, the route is out of service. Dispatch continues to fill the open position. Updates will be provided as conditions change.
Seattle / Bremerton
Sailings cut10:41 a.m.Kitsap Transit is providing additional fast ferry sailings today, Monday, Oct. 5, to help accommodate passengers affected by WSF service disruptions. Additional Bremerton Fast Ferry departures are scheduled for: 12:15 p.m. from Bremerton 1:00 p.m.
All 3 notices today
- Kitsap Transit is providing additional fast ferry sailings today, Monday, Oct. 5, to help accommodate passengers affected by WSF service disruptions. Additional Bremerton Fast Ferry departures are scheduled for: 12:15 p.m. from Bremerton 1:00 p.m. from Seattle (Pier 50) Fast ferries are passenger-only and do not carry vehicles. For schedules and service information, visit Kitsap Transit’s Fast Ferries page
- The passenger elevator on the M/V Sealth is temporarily out of service. Technicians have been dispatched for repairs. Updates will be provided when repairs have been completed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
- Due to the lack of qualified crew, the #2 Chimacum is out of service on Monday, October 5. Dispatch efforts continue. All #1 sailings will sail as scheduled. Customers may experience loading delays. Seattle / Bremerton This will cancel the following sailings: 6:20 a.m. Bremerton to Seattle 7:35 a.m. Seattle to Bremerton 8:45 a.m. Bremerton to Seattle 10:00 a.m. Seattle to Bremerton 11:10 a.m. Bremerton to Seattle 12:20 p.m. Seattle to Bremerton We will continue to send updated travel information as it becomes available. Customers can check the online schedule for more information on scheduled upcoming sailings and also view the real-time travel map for live boat location information. Customers can check the online schedule for the vessel #1 sailings. We'll provide updates as more information becomes available.
Edmonds / Kingston
Out of service7:11 a.m.Due to a shortage of crew, the route is out of service. Dispatch continues to fill the open positions. Updates will be provided as conditions change.
PlannedService suspended overnight Oct. 6-7 for BNSF railroad work
Mukilteo / Clinton
Sailings cut10:06 a.m.There is an estimated three hour wait for drivers departing the Clinton terminal due to the service disruption on the route. We'll send updated travel information as it becomes available.
All 4 notices today
- There is an estimated three hour wait for drivers departing the Clinton terminal due to the service disruption on the route. We'll send updated travel information as it becomes available. Customers can check the online schedule for more information on scheduled upcoming sailings and also view the real-time travel map for live boat location information.
- The #1 end elevator on the Suquamish is unavailable. There is another elevator available. There is a restroom available on the car deck level of the vessel. Updates will occur when more information is available.
- There is an estimated 2 hour wait for drivers departing the Mukilteo terminal. There is one-boat service due to a shortage of crew. Customers will experience loading delays. We'll send updated travel information as it becomes available. Customers can check the online schedule for upcoming sailings and view the real-time travel map for live boat location.
- The Mukilteo/Clinton route will be on one-boat service on Monday, October 5 due to a shortage of crew. All #2 sailings are cancelled. Updates will occur when more information is available Mukilteo / Clinton
Port Townsend / Coupeville
Sailings cut9:58 a.m.Due to a shortage of crew and fog, the #1 Kennewick is out of service for the day between Port Townsend and Coupeville for Monday, October 5. No show fees have been waived due to the disruption.
Fauntleroy / Vashon · Southworth
Out of service6:54 a.m.Due to a shortage of crew, the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route is out of service. Dispatch continues to try and fill the open positions. Updates will be provided as conditions change.
Point Defiance / Tahlequah
Sailings cut10:19 a.m.Correction: The Point Defiance/Tahlequah route may be out of service following the 12:10 p.m. sailing from Tahlequah due to the lack of crew. Dispatchers continue working to fill the open position. Updates will be provided as conditions change.
All 3 notices today
- Correction: The Point Defiance/Tahlequah route may be out of service following the 12:10 p.m. sailing from Tahlequah due to the lack of crew. Dispatchers continue working to fill the open position. Updates will be provided as conditions change.
- The 9:40 a.m. from Tahlequah is delayed due to a medical emergency at the Tahlequah terminal. Updates will occur when more information is available.
- The Chetzemoka is running an estimated 20 minutes behind schedule. We’ll send updated travel information as it becomes available. For upcoming sailings and live vessel locations, please check the online schedule and real-time travel map .
Anacortes / San Juan Islands
Sailings cut9:21 a.m.The #3 Samish is running an estimated 70 minutes behind schedule due to the service disruption on the route. We’ll send updated travel information as it becomes available. For upcoming sailings and live vessel locations, please check the online schedule and real-time travel map .
All 2 notices today
- The #3 Samish is running an estimated 70 minutes behind schedule due to the service disruption on the route. We’ll send updated travel information as it becomes available. For upcoming sailings and live vessel locations, please check the online schedule and real-time travel map .
- For Monday, October 5, Vessel #1 Chelan and #2 Yakima will be out of service due to the lack of crew. The #3 Samish will sail all-stops from Anacortes to Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and Friday Harbor The interisland #4 Tillikum will assist with Anacortes-San Juan islands traffic this morning. This will cancel the 11:30 a.m. interisland sailings. The interisland will resume service at 2:30 pm to help school children and commuters. New reservations and changes are blocked for Monday and no-show fees are waived. Reservation holders on cancelled sailings will be accommodated on other departures on a first come, first serve basis. Service updates will follow as more information becomes available. Anacortes / San Juan Islands Schedule
Source: the official WSF travel alerts feed from WSDOT, read directly by your browser. The colors are our reading of WSF's own wording (out of service, cancelled, one-boat, delayed); notices about elevators, restrooms or surveys are left out. No alert does not guarantee your sailing: check the real-time vessel map before you drive.
How the board sorts WSF's notices: "route out of service" or "suspended" turns a route red. A boat out of service, one-boat service, or cancelled or possibly cancelled sailings turn it orange. "Behind schedule", delays and terminal waits turn it yellow. A later notice that service is restored turns it green again. Notices about elevators, restrooms or surveys are left out, and notices WSF sends to every route appear in the striped band at the top. Green only means WSF has not posted a problem today. It is not a promise that your boat will sail.
Where each route stood at 10:43 a.m. on Monday
The same notices as the board, frozen at the moment we checked them. WSF says 23 engine-room employees called in sick Monday morning and that 13 of its 18 scheduled ferries were out of service at about 10 a.m.
| Route | What WSF says | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle / Bainbridge Island | Out of service because of a crew shortage. Dispatch is still trying to fill the open position | 7:58 a.m. |
| Edmonds / Kingston | Out of service because of a crew shortage | 7:11 a.m. |
| Fauntleroy / Vashon / Southworth | Out of service because of a crew shortage | 6:54 a.m. |
| Seattle / Bremerton | One boat all day: the Chimacum is out, so the 6:20, 7:35, 8:45, 10:00 and 11:10 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. sailings are cancelled. Kitsap Transit is adding fast ferries at 12:15 p.m. from Bremerton and 1:00 p.m. from Seattle (Pier 50) | 5:08 a.m. · 10:41 a.m. |
| Mukilteo / Clinton | One boat all day, every #2 sailing cancelled. Drivers face waits of about 2 hours at Mukilteo and 3 hours at Clinton | 6:47 a.m. · 10:06 a.m. |
| Port Townsend / Coupeville | Kennewick out of service for the day (crew shortage and fog). No-show fees waived | 9:58 a.m. |
| Point Defiance / Tahlequah | Running about 20 minutes late. The route may go out of service after the 12:10 p.m. from Tahlequah for lack of crew | 9:36 a.m. · 10:19 a.m. |
| Anacortes / San Juan Islands | Chelan and Yakima out. The Samish makes every stop and was running about 70 minutes late. The 11:30 a.m. interisland sailings are cancelled; the interisland boat returns at 2:30 p.m. No new reservations or changes for Monday, and no-show fees are waived | 8:10 a.m. · 9:21 a.m. |
Edmonds/Kingston: the 22 departures lost to Tuesday night's rail closure
BNSF is closing the railroad crossing at Main Street and Railroad Avenue in Edmonds, the crossing that leads onto the ferry dock, from 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, until about 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7. This closure was announced before Monday's crew shortage and is scheduled regardless of it.
| Night | From Edmonds | From Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Oct. 6 (evening) | 7:40 · 8:30 · 9:05 · 10:25 · 11:45 p.m. | 7:00 · 7:45 · 8:20 · 9:40 · 11:10 p.m. |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 (morning) | 5:35 · 6:15 · 7:10 · 7:55 · 8:50 · 9:35 a.m. | 4:45 · 5:30 · 6:25 · 7:00 · 7:55 · 8:40 a.m. |
| Cancelled in total | 11 departures | 11 departures |
The departure times come from WSF's fall 2026 timetable for Oct. 6 and 7 and fall inside the closure hours WSF announced. The total of 22 is our count. The Kingston terminal's boarding-pass system, required from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, stays in force through Oct. 12.
Four official ways to check a WSF sailing before you leave
The board above is a shortcut, not the final word. These are WSF's own channels, in the order we would use them on a morning like Monday.
Route pages for the boats in this story
Timetables, fares and terminal details. The county-run ferries in Pierce and Skagit counties are not part of WSF and are not affected by its crew shortage.
- Washington State Ferries: travel alerts, via WSDOT's public alerts feed (21 notices at 10:43 a.m. PDT, Oct. 5, 2026, including the Oct. 4 notice on the Edmonds closure).
- WSF: Edmonds/Kingston schedule (fall 2026 timetable for Oct. 6 and 7) and the Weekly Update from Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey (Oct. 1, 2026).
- WSF statement on Monday's callouts (23 engine-room employees, 13 of 18 ferries out of service), as published by KOMO News.
- Kitsap Transit: Kingston Fast Ferry weekday timetable and backup-vessel notice.
- WSF: VesselWatch real-time vessel map.
By The us.ferje.info newsroom — We keep the route pages for U.S. car and passenger ferries, from the San Juan Islands to the Outer Banks, and track the cancellations, schedule changes and fare changes that decide whether you actually get across.