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"Missed chemo treatments, water-crossed lovers separated: Washington state's broken ferry system"

Joshua McNichols / KUOW / May 09, 2024

Bari Willard lives in the San Juan Islands near the border with Canada. She has cancer and needs to get from her home on Orcas Island to another island close by for treatment. So she's waiting in a line of cars with her husband Andy to get on the ferry.

These days, she says it’s often late — or doesn’t come at all. “There's a lot of — I want to say — anxiety," she says. "If it comes too late, then the chemo will be too late and I'll be too late for the ferry getting back. That's a problem.” ... Read more

"Washington's ferry system has a trust problem"

Joshua McNichols / KUOW / February 16, 2024

Cheryl Lubbert brews pear cider at Nashi Orchards on Vashon Island. She says many workers in her community live off-island, because there’s very little affordable housing on Vashon. When a ferry run was cancelled recently, her production guy couldn’t get home. “So guess where he had to sleep?" she asked rhetorically. "Our house.” Then there’s the people who deliver her glass bottles. “The ferries are so difficult sometimes that people won't even deliver here,” Lubbert said. ... Read more

"WSF Chief Engineer, Offers Unique View of Extreme Challenges at Work"

Jeremy Tyler, Jeff Noedel / CNL2 / July 17, 2024

Brandy Bennett is a Chief Engineer of a Washington State Ferry vessel. But not just any vessel, she is one of four Chief Engineers of the M/V Tillikum, the San Juans’ #4 inter-island boat. Brandy visited the studio of CNL2 on Saturday evening for an interview with CNL2 co-founder Jeff Noedel.

Brandy addressed the effects of high amounts of crew overtime. She addressed the pay scales for engineers and oilers. And she offered a novel idea to make room for more career engineers and oilers. ... Watch the video