Port Townsend to Coupeville ferry riders should soon enjoy two-boat service following a March 6 announcement from Gov. Bob Ferguson.

In a press conference at Seattle’s Colman Dock terminal Ferguson said he will delay hybrid-electric conversion for two of the state’s largest ferries and put those boats back into regular service, thus restoring full domestic ferry service by this summer. As a result of this plan, Washington State Ferries (WSF) will have 18 operating vessels in the water for the first time since 2019.

Full domestic service is considered 21 vessels with 18 in the water at any time.

Ferguson is delaying the ferry electric conversion until after World Cup 2026, which is scheduled from June 26 through July 6. Converting the ferries removes them from service for an extended period of time. For example, the Wenatchee, the first vessel to undergo hybrid-electric conversion, will have been out of service at least 22 months by the time the conversion is completed this summer, he said.

Since the pandemic, the ferries have operated on a reduced schedule, significantly affecting those who rely on ferry service. For example, current commuters who travel by ferry between Bremerton and Seattle — one of the state’s busiest ferry routes — must wait more than two hours between boats every day, according to state officials.

Ferguson said he is committed to building new electric ferries. The procurement process to acquire as many as five new electric ferries is in process. Washington State Ferries will open bids from prospective shipbuilders in early April and aims to sign a contract with at least one successful bidder by late May.