There will be longer than normal wait times on ferries servicing the Edmonds/Kingston and Mukilteo/Clinton routes over the next month, due to routine maintenance announced hours before the switch took effect. 

Washington State Ferries (WSF) released two travel bulletins about the change in vessels and reductions in capacity — starting May 28 — at about 7:15 p.m. on May 27. The change came ahead of the Memorial Day weekend and the kickoff of the high-travel season to the peninsula, leading to longer-than-typical wait times.

Bryn Hunter, a spokesperson for WSF, said the shift is needed for routine maintenance of the 144-car Suquamish. “We try to minimize disruption, but it can get really tight, with our current restrictions and how many boats we have out,”  Hunter said. She added there are 15 vessels handling the route.

The Suquamish is going offline for four weeks as part of that process. It is being replaced by the 124-vehicle Kitsap on the Edmonds/Kingston route, a 20-car reduction in capacity. Meanwhile, the 90-vehicle Sealth has replaced the Kitsap on the Mukilteo/Clinton route, a 34-car reduction. Maintenance is scheduled and necessary, and connected to required U.S. Coast Guard inspections and certifications. She acknowledged the late public notice. “Sometimes that’s all the notice we’re able to give.” The travel alerts apologized for the inconvenience.

On May 7, elected officials from seven area counties and eight cities delivered a letter to federal leadership stating that the ferry system was “in crisis.” It requested funding for federal ferry grant programs at the highest level in 2025.