Washington State Ferry adjustments with winter schedule and construction

The Washington State Ferry’s (WSF) winter schedule went into effect Dec. 28, coinciding with several construction projects that will bring additional changes to some routes.

The winter schedule adjusts sailings to a more consistent “off-peak” calendar, catering more to residents than to crowds during the busy summer schedule. The winter schedule runs from Dec. 28 to March 21.

It is important to note that the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route will switch to the two-boat weekend schedule used each winter. 

Construction adjustments/Seattle-Bremerton

Starting Sunday, Dec. 28, contractors will begin replacing two in-water terminal structures at the Bremerton terminal. During this project, WSF will not be able to tie up two boats overnight, per usual, leaving passengers to adjust accordingly. The route’s No. 1 boat will dock in Seattle during this work. 

Winter schedule adjustments reflecting construction  

• No 4:50 a.m. Bremerton departure (early morning commuters can take the Kitsap Fast Ferry’s 4:40 a.m. sailing). 
• The 3 p.m. out of Bremerton will leave at 2:40 p.m. 
• Added 10:15 p.m. Bremerton to Seattle sailing. 
• On Sundays, the 8:35 a.m. Seattle and 9:50 a.m. Bremerton departures are canceled for refueling (normally done overnight in Bremerton). These changes are reflected on the Seattle/Bremerton route schedule webpage. 

Seattle-Bainbridge Island

On weekends starting Sunday, Dec. 28, through Sunday, Jan. 11, four sailings on the #1 vessel will have schedule changes. This is due to limited dock space while one of the Bremerton vessels docks overnight at Colman Dock during construction at the Bremerton terminal.  

No. 1 vessel schedule changes Sunday, Dec. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 11 

• Bainbridge to Seattle 
  • The midnight sailing will depart at 12:15 a.m. 
  • The 1:25 a.m. sailing will depart at 1:45 a.m. 
• Seattle to Bainbridge 
  • The 12:45 a.m. sailing will depart at 1:05 a.m. 
  • The 2:10 a.m. sailing will depart at 2:25 a.m. 

 These changes are reflected on the Seattle/Bainbridge route schedule webpage. 

Kingston terminal construction delays 9:40 p.m. departure

In June 2025, WSF began a seismic retrofit project at the Kingston Ferry Terminal. Construction will last through July 2026. 

Ferry service will operate as normal, except for a 20-30 minute delay on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for the 9:40 p.m. Kingston to Edmonds departure. This delay may also affect later sailings.

Construction adjustments/Mukilteo-Clinton

Starting in early January, repairs to a guiding wall for pilots begin at the Mukilteo terminal. This work will suspend service for four hours midday on these nine dates:  

• Tuesday, Jan. 6
• Thursday, Jan. 8
• Friday, Jan. 9
• Tuesday, Jan. 13
• Friday, Jan. 16
• Tuesday, Feb. 3
• Wednesday, Feb. 4
• Friday, Feb. 6
• Monday, Feb. 9 

On those dates, the last morning sailings will be the 8:30 a.m. from Clinton and the 9 a.m. from Mukilteo. Service will resume with the 1 p.m. Clinton departure and 1:30 p.m. Mukilteo departure.   

Additional cancellations due to night work 

On Monday through Friday nights, Jan. 19-23, 26-30, and Feb. 16-20, the route’s final round-trip will be canceled. The last sailings will be the 11:30 p.m. from Clinton and the 12:15 a.m. from Mukilteo, 10 minutes later than normal. 

Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

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