Edmonds–Kingston ferry

Last updated
Edmonds–Kingston ferry
Walla Walla WSF ferry.jpg
Walla Walla approaching Edmonds ferry terminal
Waterway Puget Sound
Route EdmondsKingston, Washington
Carries WA-104.svg Washington State Route 104
Authority Washington State Ferries (1951-present).
Travel timeapprox. 30 minutes (2018)
Connections at Edmonds
Train Sinnbild Eisenbahn.svg
Train
BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Sound Transit logo simplified.svg Edmonds Station
Bus Sinnbild Kraftomnibus.svg
Bus
Community Transit
Road Sinnbild PKW.svg
Road
WA-104.svgWA-524.svg SR 104 / SR 524
Connections at Kingston
Bus Sinnbild Kraftomnibus.svg
Bus
Kitsap Transit
Road Sinnbild PKW.svg
Road
WA-104.svg SR 104

The Edmonds–Kingston ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Edmonds and Kingston, Washington. Since 1951 the only ferries employed on the route have belonged to the Washington state ferry system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States. The last regularly operated steam ferry on the West Coast of the United States made its final run on this route in 1969.

Puget Sound sound along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington

Puget Sound is a sound along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and two minor connections to the open Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca—Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and Deception Pass and Swinomish Channel being the minor.

Edmonds, Washington City in Washington, United States

Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located in the southwest corner of the county, facing Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Seattle and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Everett. With a population of 39,709 residents in the 2010 U.S. census, Edmonds is the fourth most populous city in the county. The estimated population in 2015 was 40,490.

Kingston, Washington CDP in Washington, United States

Kingston is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,099 at the 2010 census. Kingston is along the shores of Appletree Cove and the Puget Sound, and is home to a major Washington State Ferry terminal linking it to Edmonds.

Contents

Description

The route crosses the Puget Sound with Edmonds, Washington as the eastern terminus and Kingston, Washington as the western terminus. The crossing is generally 30 minutes from either terminal. [1]

History

After 1951, the main ferry on the route was the MV Nisqually (capacity: 616 passengers; 59 automobiles), with the steam ferry Shasta operating as a reserve boat. Other ferries used on the route were the Klahanie, the steam ferry San Mateo, and the Evergreen-class motor ferry MV Evergreen State (capacity: 981 passengers, 87 autos). [2]

MV <i>Nisqually</i> Steel Electric-class ferry previously part of the Washington State Ferries system

The MV Nisqually was a Steel Electric Class ferry formerly operated by Washington State Ferries.

MV <i>Evergreen State</i>

The MV Evergreen State is a decommissioned Evergreen State-class ferry that was operated by Washington State Ferries from 1954 to 2015.

In 1968 the Evergreen-class ferry MV Tillikum (capacity: 1,200 passengers, 87 autos) was assigned as the regular boat on the route. On Labor Day 1969, the San Mateo became the last steam ferry on the West Coast of the United States to run a regular route. [2]

MV <i>Tillikum</i>

The MV Tillikum is an Evergreen State-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

Labor Day public holiday in the United States

Labor Day in the United States of America is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. It is recognized as a federal holiday.

By the early 1970s, the relief vessels on the run included MV Illahee and MV Quinault. Another vessel sometimes used on extra summer runs in the early 1970s was the MV Kehloken. [2]

MV <i>Illahee</i>

The MV Illahee was a Steel Electric Class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

MV <i>Quinault</i>

The MV Quinault was a Steel Electric Class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries.

Terminals

Ferry arriving at the Kingston terminal Ferry arriving at Kingston.jpg
Ferry arriving at the Kingston terminal
Loading vehicles at the Edmonds ferry terminal Ferry loading at Edmonds.jpg
Loading vehicles at the Edmonds ferry terminal

Both terminals at Edmonds and Kingston are equipped with overhead passenger loading. Edmonds is equipped with one vehicle slip, while Kingston is equipped with two. There is also a passenger-only dock at Kingston. It was previously used for the Soundrunner, a passenger only fast-ferry service to Seattle that the Port of Kingston operated between Fall 2010 and Fall 2012. [3] The dock was utilized again starting in November 2018 when Kitsap Transit resumed passenger only fast-ferry service to Seattle with MV Finest. [4]

Kitsap Transit

Kitsap Transit is a public transit agency serving Kitsap County, Washington, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The system is based in Bremerton and operates bus service on 40 fixed routes, a foot ferry, a vanpool system, worker-driver services, and dial-a-ride services.

MV <i>Finest</i>

MV Finest is an aluminum-hulled catamaran fast passenger ferry built at Derecktor Shipyards in 1996. She is owned and operated by Kitsap Transit on a Seattle–Kingston route since 2018. Finest is a former NY Waterway vessel and at one point provided service from the Massachusetts mainland to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

The Kingston terminal has an extra slip for a spare boat, which was regularly used for a third vessel until the 1970s. [2] In recent years, the spare slip has been used when three vessel service is in place on the Edmonds-Kingston route, usually due to reduced vessel capacity or the suspension of an adjacent run. The spare slip has also been used for storage of vessels when all the slips at the Eagle Harbor maintenance facility are full.

Current status

Since 1999, the vessels normally assigned to the route are the Jumbo class ferry MV Spokane and the Jumbo Mark II class ferry MV Puyallup. The Jumbo class ferry MV Walla Walla is frequently assigned when either of the regular boats is out of service or required elsewhere.

See also

Notes

  1. "Sailing Schedule for Edmonds / Kingston". Washington State Ferries . Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Demoro, Harre, The Evergreen Fleet, at pages 57-63.
  3. Friedrich, Ed (September 28, 2012). "Kingston Port retires SoundRunner ferry service". Kitsap Sun . Retrieved June 7, 2017.
  4. Kitsap Transit launches Fast Ferry service from Kingston to Seattle, Tacoma: KCPQ television news, retrieved 2018-11-19

Related Research Articles

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MV <i>Puyallup</i>

MV Puyallup is a Jumbo Mark II-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. This ferry, along with her two sisters, are the largest in the fleet. The Puyallup is normally assigned to the Edmonds-Kingston route, although it is often reassigned to the Seattle-Bainbridge Island route whenever either of its sisters assigned to that route are out of service. The Puyallup had been at the Bainbridge Route for over a year while the M/V Tacoma underwent maintenance. The vessel then returned to Edmonds-Kingston where her extra capacity was missed.

MV <i>Spokane</i>

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MV <i>Walla Walla</i>

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SS <i>Asbury Park</i> later renamed Kahloke

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References