Ferry Tales 60: No Time Like The Present

August 19, 2010 at 3:13pm • Created by: mj Andrak

Summer on Guemes means different things to different people. Crabbing season opens and brings Summer people to the island. Weddings, anniversaries and family reunions bring family and friends together for celebrations. RV’s appear on the island like migratory species where there were none. This is in addition to business as usual traffic for the Guemes ferry which includes log trucks, construction equipment, propane trucks and bike/kayak tours. Med calls and other unexpected emergencies occasionally arise. All these are normal activities for Summer on Guemes.

There are longer ferry lines and locals are definitely the minority during summer weekends. The Guemes Island ferry crew hustles to load vehicles and collect fares in an attempt to maintain the ferry schedule. They have barely a moment for brief exchanges with riders. This is also normal for Summer on Guemes.

What is different this summer? Ferry lines are long again. Ferry schedules are unpredictable, including departures from either side. No matter what time riders lined up for the Sunday 8:00 PM ferry on two weekends recently, there were vehicles left stranded on the Guemes side. Drivers had to cough up an additional fee for an extended run. Many riders were caught off guard but reached into their pockets to buy their way off the island.

Clean up runs at the end of the day became a costly extended run after January 2009. Is it a clean up run, if the ferry has been off schedule all day? Break time for the crew is mandated by USCG. Crossing times are constant. No room for change there.

Why does it seem that Public Works has rejected all recommendations and suggestions and offers only excuses? Instead, they just say "no" - no to greater discounts on frequent user cards without expiration dates to speed ticketing, no to running on demand, no to staggered crew breaks, no to ticketing on board, no to implementing a summer schedule the same time the summer surcharge goes into effect. The State Ferries have a summer, high tourist schedule and a winter, mostly locals, schedule.

Why can't Public Works and the Commissioners admit that the ferry schedule that worked for decades with three crew persons was the best. The current schedule was designed to work with a four person crew. Weekday's the schedule is a mess. The Friday, Saturday and Sunday schedule has become a fiasco. Continuing is a recipe for failure and frustration. The County should just say no to excuses and find a solution to the current mess.

We might be on time for appointments, work and dinner, if they do.

Suggestions anyone?

- Commentary by MJ Andrak

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comments:
Holly Green: 11:37am - 8/26/10
M.J. and Chuck, you both make good points. Most challenging service in many years. Lots of reasons, the main one being M.J.'s point that the current schedule was implemented based on having the office staffed and ticketing done in advance, while the boat was making runs. The 3rd crew member isn't selling tickets in advance, because they are on the boat. Once off the boat, the purser/deckhand is usually met by a group of folks waiting for a chance to purchase a punch card, cash ticket, or use a credit/debit card. The purser/deckhands aren't waiting to load the boat, they are in the office trying to sell tickets to the people who were waiting at the door. There is clearly room for improvement. Let's hope that those in charge, agree.
Sandy McKean: 11:26am - 9/9/10
"Holly Green said: "There is clearly room for improvement. Let's hope that those in charge, agree." Clearly there is quite a difference btwn having 3 vs 4 crew members. Seems to me that the 3 crew are doing just about as good a job as anyone could expect. Furthermore, if I remember correctly, didn't the islanders as represented by the Ferry Committee, strongly encourage the county to REDUCE the crew from 4 to 3 in order to keep fares low? If so, we only reaping the fruit of the seeds we ourselves have sown.
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