Kitsap Fast Ferry

Kitsap Fast Ferries

Locale	Kitsap County, Washington
Waterway	Puget Sound
Type	Passenger ferry
Operator	Kitsap Transit
Commenced operation	July 10, 2017
Termini	Bremerton Kingston Southworth Seattle
No. of lines	3
No. of vessels	7

Kitsap Fast Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by Kitsap Transit connecting Bremerton, Kingston, and Southworth in Kitsap County with Seattle, in King County.

History

Early operations

Kitsap County and Seattle were connected by a variety of passenger steamship ferries known as the "mosquito fleet" in the late 19th and early 20th century. Service was eventually replaced by automobile and passenger ferry service operated by the Puget Sound Navigation Company, which later became Washington State Ferries.

Passenger-only services were introduced once again by Washington State Ferries in the 1980s to help alleviate auto ferry traffic service between Seattle and Bremerton, Southworth, and Vashon Island. The 400-passenger catamaran MV Express (renamed MV Tyee) was leased in 1985 and began operations in 1986 between Seattle and Bremerton. The total crossing was approximately 38 minutes but initially failed to carry enough passengers to meet expectations until passenger numbers steadily grew in 1989.

Operational costs began to increase and funding was reliant on gas taxes from the state. Funding was not guaranteed in the 1989 budget and the MV Tyee and two other vessels were pulled from service. The three vessels were loaned to San Francisco and returned in 1990.

In 1990, ferries were slowed from 25 knots to 12 knots when passing through Sinclair Inlet and Rich Passage near Bremerton due to complaints from shoreline residents that damage was being caused from wakes created by the ferries. The MV Chinook replaced the MV Tyee in 1998. The MV Chinook was designed to create smaller wakes at high speeds. In 1999, Rich Passage residents filed a lawsuit against Washington State Ferries seeking restitution for damaged properties created by wakes from the MV Chinook.

In referendums in 1999 and 2002 to fund ferry services, funding for ferry services were cut which led to the state legislature eliminating the service in 2003.

Kitsap Transit

Following the elimination of the service provided by Washington State Ferries in 2003, the state legislature allowed non-state entities to operate their own ferry services near Washington State Ferries routes. Kitsap Transit placed a 0.3% sales tax increase on a referendum to fund a passenger ferry service to replace the eliminated ferry service. The referendum was rejected.

In 2004, Kitsap Transit partnered with private operators, launching a Seattle–Bremerton service operated by Kitsap Ferry Company. The service struggled to attract riders initially, and struggled to operate at a profit. Kitsap Transit placed the 0.3% tax increase on the ballot again, but was rejected in 2007 by voters. Shortly afterwards, Kitsap Transit pulled its funding for Kitsap Ferry Company, which later suspended operations.

Kitsap Transit commissioned the construction of a new catamaran designed for low wakes in 2009. The 78-foot-long Rich Passage 1 was built in Bellingham as part of a study. Testing began in Kitsap County in 2011 and passenger service trials in 2012. Rich Passage 1 traveled the 35-minute crossing between Bremerton and Seattle successfully and created half the wake a larger ferry would through Rich Passage travelling at 38 knots.

Funding for the study was provided through federal grants, which expired in 2012. The vessel spent several years in out-of-water storage and was occasionally used for infill trips for Washington State Ferries.

In 2015, a business plan was drafted by Kitsap Transit to develop a fast ferry system service Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth with Seattle. The 0.3% tax increase was once again presented and was approved through a referendum in 2016.

Service

Currently, there are three routes, connecting Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth with Seattle.

Fares

	One-Way Cash	KT Monthly Pass	PugetPass
Full Fare	$2.00 (Eastbound) $10.00 (Westbound)	$168.00 (Fast Ferry Only) $196.00 (Bus and Fast Ferry)	$72.00 (Eastbound Only) $360.00 (Eastbound and Westbound)
Reduced Fare	$1.00 (Eastbound) $5.00 (Westbound)	$84.00 (Fast Ferry Only) $98.00 (Bus and Fast Ferry)	$36.00 (Eastbound Only) $180.00 (Eastbound and Westbound)

Routes

Bremerton - Seattle (Monday - Saturday)
Kingston - Seattle (Monday - Friday, Saturday Service in Summer only)
Southworth - Seattle (Monday - Friday, Saturday Service in Summer only)

Fleet

Name	Year	Passenger capacity	Route	Notes
MV Rich Passage 1	2011	118	Bremerton–Seattle
MV Finest	1996	350	Kingston–Seattle (Backup)	Bought from NY Waterways, involved in 9/11/01 Manhattan boatlift. ^[1] Rebuilt by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders Inaugurated Kingston - Seattle service, 11/19/2018
MV Melissa Ann	1988	172	Kingston–Seattle (Backup)	Leased from Four Seasons Marine, current status unknown.
MV Reliance ^[2]	2019	118	Bremerton–Seattle
MV Lady Swift ^[3]	2019	118	Bremerton–Seattle
MV Enetai ^[4]	2020	250	Southworth–Seattle
MV Commander	2021	250	Kingston–Seattle Southworth–Seattle (Backup)
M/V Solano	2004	320	Southworth–Seattle (Backup)	Purchased from San Francisco Bay Ferry^[5] To be retrofitted To remain in service until 2029