West Seattle, Washington
28 Wednesday
(Ferry near Fauntleroy dock, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
After dealing with spot service reductions during weeks of crew shortages, Washington State Ferries is downsizing schedules until further notice, starting this Saturday. That includes the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route. Here’s the WSF announcement:
Beginning Saturday, Oct. 16, Washington State Ferries will temporarily operate reduced schedules on most routes to provide more predictable and reliable travel. The change comes as the system is exercising maximum effort to crew its sailings in the face of a global shortage of mariners that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
The severe staff shortages are also due to many other variables including an aging workforce, COVID-19 cases, and quarantines. Given what has happened to the response to calls to fill positions on recent weekends, WSF feels there is too much uncertainty to continue the schedule at this moment. WSF will continue to evaluate and strive to return additional boats back into service on a daily basis. Ferry customers are encouraged to monitor the agency website, the WSDOT app and social media channels for updates.
Route-by-route schedule changes
Starting Saturday, Oct. 16, the following sailing schedules will be in operation:
Seattle/Bainbridge, Edmonds/Kingston and Mukilteo/Clinton: One-boat service instead of two
Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: Two-boat schedule instead of three
Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Three-boat schedule instead of four with temporary suspension of vehicle reservations
Seattle/Bremerton: Continued reduced one-boat service instead of two
Point Defiance/Tahlequah: Continued one-boat service as normal
Port Townsend/Coupeville: Continued one-boat service with vehicle reservations as normal for this time of year“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked hard to maintain reliable service, completing the vast majority of sailings,” said Patty Rubstello, head of WSF. “However, to better reflect the service we can currently provide and to minimize last-minute cancelations due to a lack of crew, we made this difficult decision to adjust our schedules.”
Recruiting new employees
Although COVID-19 has not allowed WSF to hire or train new recruits at the same rate as prior to the pandemic, more than 150 new crewmembers have been brought on this year. Prior to COVID-19, WSF hired new crewmembers once a year leading into the busy season. The system is now continuously recruiting new employees, but is struggling to find qualified mariners. WSF is also expanding its recruitment efforts with maritime academies across the country.
(WSB file photo)
As we reported two weeks ago, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is returning this year as a drive-up/walk-up/ride-up event, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 24. It’s free but you need to RSVP for a time slot so everyone doesn’t converge on the site (the Fauntleroy Church parking lot at 9140 California SW) And now, the signups are open! Reed Haggerty from the Fauntleroy Fall Festival sent the announcement:
Folks will be able to sign up for a slot to drive/ride through the main and upper parking lots of the Fauntleroy Church/Y and pick up goodies from the Fall Festival along the way. People walking up from the neighborhood are welcome as well. Cocoa, pretzel and cider, word search puzzle, a birdhouse kit are among the treats along your route. There will be bands to listen to on your trip and Halloween decorations to keep everyone entertained! Reserve your spot for the festival here: signup.com/go/ykhPtmZ
The festival is free as always, powered by donations, sponsors, and volunteers.
The Fauntleroy terminal will be less ferry-less tomorrow, according to Washington State Ferries, which announced tonight that the third boat will return to the Triangle Route on Monday. The trips to/from Vashon Island might be busier than usual, though, because the south Vashon run (Tahlequah-Point Defiance) will be out of service. Not a crewing problem, but a vessel problem, says WSF – M/V Chetzemoka is out with a generator problem. For other routes around the system, updates are on the WSF alerts page.
(WSB photos)
“Welcome.”
“Thank you.”
“You can do it.”
Those are a few of the messages written on small pieces of driftwood and placed on the bank of Fauntleroy Creek this afternoon during the annual gathering celebrating salmon spawners’ imminent return.
Co-host Judy Pickens of the Fauntleroy Watershed Council said her message was “the power of hope … This is always a hopeful time of year on Fauntleroy Creek.” The hope is that volunteer creek-watchers will see coho soon. Dennis Hinton, also on the Fauntleroy Watershed Council, said there’s reason for hope:
He told the more than 30 people in attendance that a potential spawner had been seen near the creek’s mouth on Saturday, a four-to-five-pound female. A high tide of at least 11 feet is needed to get fish into the creek, and many upcoming days will oblige. Last year, two spawners showed up; the record was 2012, with volunteers counting 274.
The centerpiece of today’s celebration, as always, was music, led by Jamie Shilling (above), with attendees young and not-as-young joining in singing and percussion – with instruments from drums to tambourines to plant pots. Some songs are annual favorites, including “Habitat,” to the tune of the 1959 song “Lollipop“:
Shilling also led a new song, singing: “We are the voice of the earth, and we are rising up, rising up …” With those lyrics, participants pointed their message-bearing driftwood sticks skyward;
What happens from here is up to the fish, and the creek:
If spawners are present on a weekend, Pickens promises, the Fauntleroy Watershed Council will host an “open creek” – and we’ll announce it here on WSB.
Again tomorrow, the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state-ferry run will be down to two boats because of what Washington State Ferries calls “severe crewing shortages” systemwide. For the first time we can recall seeing, they’ve published a systemwide alert rather than just individual-route alerts. Here’s the systemwide plan for Sunday:
Anacortes/San Juan Islands – two-boat (rather than three) service
San Juan Islands Interisland vessel – regular weekend service
Port Townsend/Coupeville – one-boat service
Mukilteo/Clinton – one-boat service
Edmonds/Kingston – one-boat service
Seattle/Bainbridge – one-boat service
Seattle/Bremerton – one-boat service
Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth – two-boat (rather than three) service
Pt. Defiance/Tahlequah – service suspended
WSF advises checking schedules here for individual routes and adds, “You can view the schedules for Sunday service by looking for ‘Alternate Service’ next to the route name. Please note that some of these schedules are under the ‘Currently Inactive’ section of the list until the start of the service day on Sunday at 3:01 AM.” WSF says it’ll “add back as much service as possible” if more crew members become available.
SIDE NOTE: This will be the third day of major systemwide service cuts – here’s a breakdown of the first day, Friday, from Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom.
(WSB photo, 2019)
Volunteers are watching Fauntleroy Creek for signs of returning spawners. Another tradition this time of year: Drumming to welcome the coho home. In case you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s the announcement from creek steward Judy Pickens:
Bring your mask and a drum of any kind to this annual all-ages event hosted by the Fauntleroy Watershed Council. We’ll keep our distance as we drum and sing to call coho spawners into Fauntleroy Creek. 4539 SW Director Place (near upper SW Director and Fauntleroy Way SW , across from the ferry terminal); drumming will guide you into the circle. Heavy rain cancels.
Here’s our recent report on what else the Watershed Council does – and how you can help.
P.S. As noted in comments, we left out the important part – when. 4 pm Sunday, October 10th.
As mentioned in our report on September’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting, the group has been planning a conversation about Fauntleroy traffic issues. Now we have the announcement, including how you can contribute questions:
A local Fauntleroy traffic-issues meeting will be held virtually October 12th, from 7 to 9 PM, with members of SDOT, Seattle Police Department’s Southwest Precinct, Seattle Police Traffic Division, and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold’s office.
This meeting stems from the most recent survey conducted by the FCA, in which traffic issues such as speeding, noise, pedestrian safety, and neighborhood cut-throughs were the number one concern of the Fauntleroy community. We request that community members submit questions, concerns, recommendations, and, importantly, issues with specific streets and cross-streets where the issues exist to traffic@fauntleroy.net by the close of business October 8 [this Friday]. Questions will be compiled so they may be addressed by the attendees.
Registration is required to attend next Tuesday’s meeting – go here.
Thanks to Jeff for the tip! The Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) – co-located with Fauntleroy Church at 9140 California SW – has reopened. It’s now open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for starters, 9 am to noon each of those days. Here’s the class schedule.
One of West Seattle’s biggest future transportation projects, replacement of the Fauntleroy ferry terminal, was at centerstage during this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting.
Washington State Ferries‘ David Sowers and Hadley Rodero were at the online meeting this past Tuesday night to talk about it. Much of their slide deck was a recap of information presented previously:
As noted toward the end, the next meeting of the Community Advisory Group for the project is not likely to happen before early November. They’re also promising a general public meeting about the project before year’s end. And meetings of the other advisory groups – Technical and Executive – will be publicly accessible as they happen, which wasn’t originally the case. (Video recordings of all three groups’ meetings are linked here.)
A key feature of the early planning stage is development of a Purpose and Need Statement for the project; WSF presented a “preliminary” draft to the Community Advisory Group in July (WSB coverage here). They told the FCA board that they’re now revising it to incorporate the many public comments they’ve since received. The FCA board had some suggestions too, such as looking at ways to reduce dock traffic, creative ways to discourage single-occupancy vehicles, for example.
TRAFFIC: Speaking of traffic – at the next meeting, FCA hopes to invite Fauntleroy community members to join them for a conversation about traffic issues, with SDOT and SPD among others. Traffic was a top issue in FCA’s recent community survey, and they hope community members can contribute constructive suggestions about trouble spots and how to address them. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for 7 pm Tuesday, October 12th – stand by for more as it gets closer.
POLICE: Lt. David Terry, the third watch (night shift) commander, represented the Southwest Precinct. He announced that Lt. Dorothy Kim is now the precinct’s Operations Lieutenant (second in command). He mentioned that SPD has had officers on “emphasis patrol” at Westwood Village, usually on overtime, and that seems to have helped reduce crime there. Overall, staffing is still a concern – he said he has “a heck of a time” meeting what’s supposed to be the per-shift minimum of nine officers, and said the precinct “may lose two or three more officers in the next month.”
FAUNTLEROY FALL FESTIVAL: We reported on this separately – a drive-up/ride-up version is planned 2-5 pm October 24th.
NEXT MEETING: October 12th – watch fauntleroy.net for updates.
11:14 AM: Washington State Ferries has just taken M/V Cathlamet – #3 boat on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run – out of service because of “oropulsion issues,” That’s the ferry that just went back into service three weeks ago after a month-plus of repairs and maintenance. Updates to come.
ADDED SATURDAY: The Cathlamet returned to service early this morning, so the run is back to three boats.
(WSB file photo)
One of the headlines from tonight’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting: The Fauntleroy Fall Festival will return next month, but with pandemic modifications. It’ll be a drive-up/ride-up event, 2-5 pm Sunday, October 24th, in the Fauntleroy Church parking lot (9140 California SW). Organizers plan stations where you can stop for some take-home versions of festival traditions – paper salmon hats, birdhouses, pumpkins. They’re planning an RSVP system where you can sign up for an arrival time slot, to avoid traffic jams. More info to come soon.
A crew shortage has taken the #3 Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth ferry, M/V Cathlamet, out of service. That’s canceled more than a dozen sailings, as listed on the Washington State Ferries website.
The Kindie West family-music concert series is returning to the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, two Sundays a month, October through March. The artists are part of Kindiependent, “a collective of like-minded musicians who are passionate about cultivating a vibrant kids and family music scene in the Pacific Northwest.” Here’s the lineup:
October 24 and January 9 – Dani and the Bee
November 7 and January 23 – The Not-Its!
November 21 and February 6 – Harmonica Pocket
December 5 and March 6 – Johnny Bregar
December 19 and February 20 – Eli Rosenblatt
Doors open at 10 am, shows are at 10:30, lasting about an hour. These are ticketed shows, with an admission charge for everyone 6 months and up, but they’re offering discounted family passes too. Free parking behind the schoolhouse; COVID guidelines will be followed.
(Photo by Dennis Hinton)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Every fall, volunteers watch Fauntleroy Creek for signs of coho salmon swimming home to spawn.
The creek is one of just a few in the city to which salmon still return.
(“Wally,” a 2016 Fauntleroy Creek coho photographed by Mark Ahlness)
It’s hospitable again thanks to human helping hands decades ago, from volunteers who formed the Fauntleroy Watershed Council.
As they celebrate the council’s 20th anniversary, the dedicated volunteers at the heart of the group are hoping now to welcome more neighbors into the fold – whether for one-time events or recurring involvement. There’s much to be done – today, for example, volunteers were out clearing logs from the mouth of the creek (top photo), so any returning spawners don’t face a “roadblock.”
(WSB photo: Kitsap at Fauntleroy dock while investigation continued)
Thanks for the tips. A longer-than-usual wait for outgoing and incoming ferry passengers at Fauntleroy this hour wasn’t because of the sailing cancellations reported earlier – it was because of an investigation. We’ve just talked to spokespersons for both Washington State Ferries and Washington State Patrol, which has jurisdiction on ferries, since they are part of the state highway system. WSP says that on board M/V Kitsap, as it sailed to Fauntleroy, a man in his 50s “was asked to put on a mask (but) refused and became aggressive toward ferry personnel. The subject had been drinking as well. There was a concern based on the aggressive behavior that an assault could take place.” So the boat was held while WSP was called. Troopers determined no assault had taken place, and that the man was a passenger in a car, not a driver, so there was no DUI concern; eventually he was given a trespass writeup requiring him to stay off WSF property for 60 days. The Kitsap has since unloaded that sailing and loaded a new one that arrived at Vashon about 10 minutes ago.
Washington State Ferries says the #2 sailings on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route are canceled “for the rest of the day” because of a crew shortage. So if you’re looking to sail on that route, check the schedule for a #1 or #3 sailing.
Another crew shortage for Washington State Ferries on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route has it down to two boats this evening. WSF has canceled all sailings scheduled for the #3 boat; the list of specific canceled sailings is here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Much of what was presented during the second meeting of the Community Advisory Group for the Fauntleroy ferry terminal replacement project was procedural – more about how information would/should be presented to them, than about the information itself.
One big exception: Group members got their first look at the Preliminary Purpose and Need Statement for the project – Washington State Ferries‘ rationale for why it believes this project is necessary. Here are the six slides laying that out:
(WSB file photo)
Somewhere between the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge in 2022 and the opening of West Seattle light rail – 2032? – is another major local transportation project: Replacing the Fauntleroy ferry dock/terminal. We’ve been reporting on the official start of the planning process, and tomorrow (Wednesday) night brings the next step – the second meeting of the project’s Community Advisory Group, 6 pm online. The CAG is one of three advisory groups for the project, along with the Technical Advisory Group, described as “technical staff from municipal, county, state, and federal agencies, federal and state resource agencies, as well as local tribes,” and the Executive Advisory Group, “local and state appointed or elected officials, transportation-agency leadership, federal partners, and tribal leadership.” (See the groups’ membership lists here.) Tomorrow’s CAG group is open to the public for viewing (register here), though there’s no public-comment period; you can email FauntleroyTermProj@wsdot.wa.gov with comments for any or all of the groups. A separate public-input process is also planned this fall, WSF says.
Two Washington State Ferries notes this afternoon:
CREW SHORTAGE: WSF says one of the Triangle Route (Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth) ferries is going out of service for at least the next few hours:
Due to a shortage of Coast Guard Documented Crew, the #2 Issaquah will cancel the following sailings on July 26:
3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. from Vashon to Southworth
3:55 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. Southworth to Vashon
4:35 p.m. Fauntleroy to Vashon
(Added: As of 10:15 pm, no official updates from WSF. But the VesselWatch tracker shows the Issaquah back in service.)
CATHLAMET FOLLOWUP: On Saturday, we reported on one of the Triangle Route ferries, M/V Cathlamet, going out of service after a mechanical problem caused a smoky scare.
(WSB photo of Cathlamet and emergency-response boats, seen Saturday from Fauntleroy dock)
On Sunday, Cathlamet was seen headed from Vashon to the WSF maintenance facility at Eagle Harbor. Today we asked WSF a few followup questions. Spokesperson Justin Fujioka tells WSB that Cathlamet was scheduled to go there for regularly scheduled maintenance starting today anyway. “That maintenance layup was scheduled for four weeks through the weekend of Aug. 21-22. It is unknown yet if Saturday’s incident will extend this scheduled layup period.” As for what went wrong, Fujioka says it was a problem “with the clutch on the #1 end reduction gear overheating, which caused smoke, but no fire. There were no injuries reported.” That is the same part that had trouble July 9th, taking Cathlamet out of service for about six hours.
2:36 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a big “offshore marine fire” response to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. Dispatch says an engine-room fire is reported on board the state ferry M/V Cathlamet, about a mile out. Part of the response is being sent to the Don Armeni vicinity (often in case of sea-to-land patient transfers). Updates to come.
2:45 PM: We’re headed down to the ferry dock first to see what can be seen from there. WSF VesselWatch shows the Cathlamet’s most recent departure as Vashon to Fauntleroy, but also shows this ferry currently headed westbound. (A different ferry, M/V Kittitas, is currently at the dock.
(Added: WSB photo of Cathlamet, seen from Fauntleroy dock)
2:47 PM: Update from dispatch: This may just be a “smoking clutch” that filled the engine room with smoke. They’re trying to get the Cathlamet to Vashon.
(Added: WSB photo)
The SFD response is continuing to stand by just in case.
2:51 PM: Vishal tweeted that photo, reporting, “My girlfriend is on the boat. Looks like they’re getting escorted back to Vashon.” We also just got a call from someone on the ferry, who says they were almost to Fauntleroy when this all happened, but will be taken off the boat at Vashon and put on another ferry to head here. SFD, meantime, is sending a fireboat that way in case help is needed. The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth run usually has three ferries on Saturdays so obviously it’s down to two for now.
3:03 PM: Thanks to Russ for that pic of a USCG vessel also escorting Cathlamet. Our archives, meantime, remind us that Cathlamet, 40 years old, was out of service for part of a day two weeks ago because of what was described as a propulsion issue.
3:10 PM: SFD Rescue Boat 5 just radioed in, from Vashon, that WSF told them no fire or medical help is needed. So they’re heading back downtown and the rest of the responders who were standing by will be dismissed (including fireboat Leschi, below, which was also headed that way with firefighters on board).
(At Seacrest – photo by Carolyn Newman)
3:43 PM: Our caller from aboard Cathlamet reports they docked at Vashon and have transferred to another ferry which is now Fauntleroy-bound (looks like M/V Sealth, per tracker).
(Photo from Emily via comments – fire crew on Cathlamet car deck)
WSF says Cathlamet is “out of service until further notice” and describes the problem as “a malfunction in the reduction gear,” adding: “For the remainder of the service day, all #2 sailings are cancelled.”
6:30 PM: WSF now says, “The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route is operating on a 2-boat schedule due to clutch repairs needed on M/V Cathlamet. M/V Kittitas will run in the #1 position and M/V Sealth will run as the #2.”
If you’re south of Fauntleroy, you might have seen signs like that (thanks to Nathan for the photo). Seattle City Light is finally gearing up for its Brace Point underground upgrades. They’ve set an online community meeting for August 4th, with details in this flyer SCL will be circulating:
The flyer explains that the underground cabling in the area is 50 years old, and had some work done 10 years ago. This project’s been in the works a while; we last checked on it a year ago, following the latest in a series of outages in the area, blamed on an underground failure.
Toplines from the Fauntleroy Community Association board’s July meeting, online last night:
CRIME: Southwest Precinct Lt. David Terry and Sgt. Simon Edison ( were first on the agenda. Crime is down in Fauntleroy, they told the FCA. One attendee asked them about the category of catalytic-converter theft, after it had happened in their neighborhood. They didn’t have stats on that, the SPD guests said, but they said there’s a regional operation under way “to put the kibosh on it.” It’s a nationwide problem, they explained, complicated by the stolen catalytic converters being taken across state lines for the removal of precious metals. Not only is a regional task force working on it, they said, but there’s federal jurisdiction because of the interstate transport of stolen items. If it happens to you, they urged, please report it.
FESTIVAL: The decision hasn’t been made yet on whether to bring back the Fauntleroy Fall Festival this year; last one was in October 2019 (WSB coverage here). Some families may not be too keen on the idea of a large gathering with many children if those under 12 are not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, it was noted; a community survey might be done to gauge the comfort level. Also, time is drawing short for the fundraising and volunteer-wrangling that’s needed to put on the free festival. The decision will be made by August 1st.
FERRIES: The FCA’s point person on ferry issues, Frank Immel, briefed other board members on the launch of the Community Advisory Group that was chosen for the Fauntleroy terminal-replacement project. They met last month (as covered here) and are set to meet again July 28th. Some in attendance wondered how – whether – CAG members will get feedback from the community at large; that’s yet to be determined.
MEMBERSHIP: A three-member committee has been working to raise awareness of FCA among community members, including pop-ups and door-to-door visits.
NEXT MEETING: The FCA board usually meets second Tuesdays but skips August; in September, the meeting likely will be in-person with an online option – watch fauntleroy.net for more on that.
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