Guemes Island ferry

The Guemes Island ferry is a ferry route in Washington State that runs between Anacortes, Washington and Guemes Island across the Guemes Channel.

History

In 1919 the route was served by the then new (built 1917) motor ferry Guemes, 48.6 ft (14.81 m) long, 86 tons. Guemes was one of only nine true ferries then in operation on Puget Sound.^[1] Guemes was kept on the route until 1960, when it was replaced by the Almar, a vessel which had been built in 1947 on Puget Island in the Columbia River.^[2] Almar served as a ferry on the Columbia River until 1960. Almar, with a capacity for 12 vehicles. was not a double-ender. This mean that vehicles had to be backed out of the vehicle at one end of the route. Large trucks could not be carried. Almar is reported to be still afloat in Alaska.^[2]

Current status

A renovation of the terminals at Anacortes and Guemes was completed in May 2011.^[3] Also as of May 2011, the Washington State Department of Transportation has completed a new terminal building at Anacortes, with funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The new building houses a ferry user waiting area, staff area, restrooms, staff offices, and a ferry maintenance workshop.^[4]

Notes

References

• Guemes Island Historical Society (accessed 05-23-11)
• Guemes Island Ferry official site. (accessed 05-23-11)
• Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats -- A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA 1983 ISBN 0-914515-00-4
• Newell, Gordon R. ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, Superior Publishing, Seattle WA 1966 ISBN 0875642209
• Washington State Dept of Transportation, Washington Jobs Now, “Guemes Ferry Terminal Building”. (accessed 05-23-11).

External links

• Excerpts from 1975 environmental impact statement. Describes 1975 status of ferry and docks in detail.