WSF SAMISH

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Woman gave birth to a baby on ferry

On Aug 6, 2024, a passenger rushed to find crew members as they were about to leave Lopez Island for Anacortes. He explained that his wife was in labour on the car deck. Crew members and other passengers helped bring the woman up towards the ferry’s medical area, where she quickly gave birth to a healthy baby boy at 3:45 p.m. The family was airlifted to Anacortes for additional treatment.

Ferry assisted damaged pleasure boat and its crew

The WSF 'Samish' was delayed for hours on March 9, 2024, after assisting a pleasure boat which had got in trouble amid winds of 20 knots with 30 knot gusts and 4-6 feet high seas in the Rosario Strait after taking a wave over the bow, shattering its front windshield. Six people and their two dogs were aboard the boat. Some were injured by the broken windshield. The 'Samish' launched a rescue boat to assist the disabled boat. The U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham also deployed a response boat. After its arrival, the coxswain transferred two crew members to the damaged vessel to assess for first aid needs and seaworthiness of the distressed boat. The ferry slowed down for the response boat and, using its size, created a shield from the wind and elements for the Coast Guard crew on the way to Anacortes. The Coast Guard crew embarked two of the boaters and the two dogs to the boat. The other four were transported to Anacortes aboard the ferry. They were met by the Anacortes Fire and taken to receive further assistance. The crew’s engineer, MK2 Lavarreda, drove the damaged boat and followed the response boat to Cap Sante Marina, where Anacortes Fire reunited the four individuals with those onboard the boat of the Coast Guard. The damaged boat was tied up at the Cap Sante Marina. Report with photos: https://sanjuanislander.com/news-articles/government-news/federal/coast-guard/37289/samish-ferry-crew-and-coast-guard-rescue-6-people-and-2-dogs

Ferry broke down with coupling problems

The Anacortes/San Juan Islands ferry route was operating on an alternate four-boat schedule after the "Samish" was pulled from service because of engine problems which occurred on Aug 6, 2017. The ferry had a problem with a coupling that took the boat out of service until Aug 10. The four-shipschedule will remain in effect until a fifth boat is available to service the route. Because the route has one fewer boat, three sailings have been cancelled — the 8:25 a.m. from Anacortes to Sidney, British Columbia; the 9:45 a.m. from Friday Harbor to Sidney and the noon from Sidney to Anacortes. Several other sailings will have limited space. Reservation holders on any of the canceled sailings will be loaded with reservation holders on the in-service sailings on a first-come, first-served basis.