Guemes Island Ferry Haul-out: Future Considerations
Guemes Island Ferry Haul-out: Future Considerations
We understand that there's never a good time to take the Guemes Island Ferry out of service for its annual maintenance period. However, we hope by offering more predictability in the future, people can better plan every year. In this survey, we're asking for your feedback so we can consider what works best for our ridership.
Taking the Guemes Ferry out of service for annual maintenance is a challenge for everyone. In 2020, we were able to provide reliable service throughout the year, completing 99% of our scheduled runs. Due to the changing nature of the pandemic, we didn't feel comfortable taking the car ferry out of service for an extended period of time. However, the vessel does require annual maintenance to ensure its reliability - which is why we have a haul-out planned for late Spring 2021.
How we make our decisions
We've primarily scheduled the haul out in early spring or early fall - to avoid the busy summer travel season, but also limit the potential for weather events that could delay or cancel passenger-only service. Recently, we've heard from people who think that scheduling a haul-out during the summer would be a better option. From a maintenance perspective, the summer weather is better for maintenance work. However, the downside of scheduling in the summer is lost vehicle revenue to the system.
What we can do to ensure predictablity
We think that providing a predictable haul-out schedule each year could help people plan ahead. The questions in this survey are designed to identify what time of year you think would be best for future ferry haul-outs. Your feedback will help us determine if it's practical to plan for a haul-out at the same time every year.