Haugen tells WSF where to put their boats

OLYMPIA — Concern that an inadequate whale-watching boat was about to be put back on the Keystone – Port Townsend run, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, has demanded that Washington State Ferries find another option.

“That whale watching boat was completely inadequate for passenger service on the Keystone run in the first place,” said Haugen. “The minute I heard they were going to move the Snohomish out and put a tourist boat back, I called and told them that was a no-go.”

Haugen’s call came after a report that Washington State Ferries (WSF) had to move the Snohomish out to make room for the Steilacoom II, which will begin trial runs on the route before going into service later this month.

With the Klickitat still tied up in Port Townsend, dock space is limited and WSF said they needed to resume using a smaller passenger-only boat because they no longer had a docking berth for the Snohomish.

“It’s frustrating that a state Senator has to call up the WSDOT Chief of Staff to tell them to find someplace better to dock a disabled vessel,” said Haugen. “But if that’s what I have to do to fight for the people of the communities that rely on regular ferry service, then I’m glad to do it.”

At Haugen’s insistence, WSF has decided to move the Klickitat to another location so that the Snohomish can continue to provide passenger-only service until the Steilacoom II begins operating.

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