SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. July 22, 2025 – After 10 weeks of service, the County’s Marine Transportation Services Pilot Project is complete. These services included emergency barge and foot-passenger transportation during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis. Each of these services was provided at no cost to the passengers, subsidized by the County’s emergency funding awarded by the Governor’s Office.

During the July 15 Council meeting, staff reviewed data from the project including ridership statistics, contractor feedback, and next steps.

“I want to thank our contractors and our staff for all they did to make this project possible,” said Council Chair Kari McVeigh. “I look forward to gaining additional insights as we continue to gather data that will support ongoing conversations about transportation needs in our islands.”

Daily Passenger Service

San Juan Safaris provided seven-day a week, twice daily passenger-only transportation service to Friday Harbor, Orcas, Lopez, and Anacortes. During the length of the project, San Juan Safaris reported transporting 2,399 passengers, 114 pets, and 465 bikes. The top three reasons for travel included recreation/leisure, traveling to/from work, and traveling for appointments, including medical needs.

Emergency Services

Outer Island Excursions provided emergency interisland passenger service when the Washington State Ferries experienced disruptions. During the length of the project, Outer Island Excursions was activated for 9 days and competed 12 round trips that transported 127 passengers. The top three reasons for travel included getting home, traveling for work, and receiving medical care.

Pintail Marine was on stand-by to provide emergency barge service should the Washington State Ferries experience significant service disruptions. This service was not mobilized.

Contractor Feedback

The contractors involved in the project provided valuable feedback about increasing communications, addressing the availability of dock space, and the desire for a structure schedule for emergency transportation routes. Contractor feedback will continue to be gathered and added to a final report.

Questions or Feedback?

Do you have questions or feedback about your experiences with the County’s pilot project? We’d love to hear from you! There are two ways to engage:

1. Take the survey! The County is interested in your experiences, feedback, and ideas and is hosting a short, 10-minute follow-up survey to evaluate the project and consider adjustments for potential future services. Survey link: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services/surveys/follow-up-survey-san-juan-county-marine-transportation-services. The survey will be live through August 17, 2025.
   • If you were a passenger on one of the routes, we'll be reaching out directly with a survey link. We’d love to hear more about your experiences using the service!
2. If you'd rather use the ‘Feedback’ tool on our website to provide general comments on the pilot project, feel free to access it at any time here: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services?tool=qanda#tool_tab

Next Steps

County staff will continue to compile and analyze data from contractors and passengers to develop a final report. For a complete list of information about the County’s pilot project to establish marine transportation services, please visit: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. June 25, 2025 – Don’t forget – this is the last week to utilize San Juan County’s Marine Transportation Services Pilot Project. These services include emergency barge and foot-passenger transportation during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis. Each of these services is provided at no cost to the passengers, subsidized by the County’s emergency funding awarded by the Governor’s Office. The last day of service is Monday, June 30, 2025.

“I’m proud of the County for piloting this project and for providing these temporary services to folks needing transportation alternatives,” said County Council Chair Kari McVeigh. “We’re anxious to dive into the data to better understand how these services were utilized over the last 10 weeks and look forward to using that feedback in future planning.”

County staff will provide a project recap during the July 15, 2025 Council meeting. Share your thoughts and experiences using the services via the ‘Feedback’ tool on our website to be included in the review.

Over the next week, community members are encouraged to use the daily passenger service provided by San Juan Safaris to travel to Friday Harbor, Orcas, Lopez, and Anacortes. Use the table on the right to select the timing that is right for you. The schedule, along with booking information, is also located on the San Juan Safaris website.

Emergency services will also remain available throughout the week in the event the Washington State Ferries experience disruptions. During that time, Outer Island Excursions will provide emergency interisland passenger service and Pintail Marine may be called upon to provide emergency barge service.

Questions or Feedback?

Do you have questions about the County’s pilot project? We’d love to hear from you! Use the ‘Feedback’ tool on our website to provide comments on the pilot project. These comments will be compiled and provided to the County Council, to the operators if necessary, and others involved in the pilot project.

Feedback link: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services?tool=qanda#tool_tab

Questions specific to the route, booking a seat, and pickup/drop off locations should be directed to the operators. Use their websites to book your seat, see the schedule and pickup/drop off locations, read answers to frequently asked questions, and much more:

• Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County provided by San Juan Safaris: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
• Emergency Interisland Passenger Service provided by Outer Island Excursions: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
• Emergency Barge Services provided by Pintail Marine: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service

For a complete list of information about the County’s pilot project to provide marine transportation services, please visit: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. May 16, 2025 – Today marks one month of San Juan County’s Marine Transportation Services Pilot Project. These services include emergency barge and foot-passenger transportation during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis. Each of these services is provided at no cost to the passengers, subsidized by the County’s emergency funding awarded by the Governor’s Office.

“We’ve continued to fine-tune the operations and are grateful for our partner operators who are facilitating these services,” said County Council Chair Kari McVeigh. “We’re so pleased to see that the community is benefiting from this project and is taking advantage of this unique opportunity!”

Daily Passenger Service

San Juan Safaris is providing seven-day a week, twice daily passenger-only transportation service to Friday Harbor, Orcas, Lopez, and Anacortes. Use the table on the right to select the timing that is right for you. The schedule, along with booking information, is also located on the San Juan Safaris website.

During the first month of service, San Juan Safaris reported transporting 1,004 people – plus 132 bikes and 55 dogs – around the islands. Approximately 80% of passengers cited using the service to travel for recreation and leisure, with others are traveling to work, school, and appointments. With increasing reservations over the coming weeks, San Juan Safaris expects that ridership will continue to grow.

Emergency Services

Outer Island Excursions is providing emergency interisland passenger service when the Washington State Ferries experience disruptions.

During the first month, Outer Island Excursions competed four trips and transported 32 passengers – plus one dog and three bikes. Passengers cited using the service to travel for work and personal or family medical appointments.

Pintail Marine is providing emergency barge service when the Washington State Ferries experience significant service disruptions. This service has not yet been needed. Four service providers have pre-registered for services, and others are encouraged to do so here: https://sanjuancountywa.form.transform.civicplus.com/50601

Questions or Feedback?

Do you have questions about the County’s pilot project? We’d love to hear from you! Use the ‘Feedback’ tool on our website to provide comments on the pilot project. These comments will be compiled and provided to the County Council, to the operators if necessary, and others involved in the pilot project.

Feedback link: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services?tool=qanda#tool_tab

Questions specific to the route, booking a seat, and pickup/drop off locations should be directed to the operators. Use their websites to book your seat, see the schedule and pickup/drop off locations, read answers to frequently asked questions, and much more:

1. Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County provided by San Juan Safaris: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
2. Emergency Interisland Passenger Service provided by Outer Island Excursions: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
3. Emergency Barge Services provided by Pintail Marine: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service

Next Steps

These pilot marine transportation services are currently available for ten weeks and are scheduled to conclude on June 30, 2025, coinciding with the end of the State’s fiscal year.

For the remainder of the project, San Juan County encourages the public to take advantage of these services and to provide feedback via the website. Are these services helpful to you? What would make it better? All comments will be compiled and utilized in assessing the project.

For a complete list of information about the County’s pilot project to establish marine transportation services, please visit: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. April 25, 2025 – After completing the first week of its pilot project, San Juan County is sharing an update regarding its Marine Transportation Services. These services include emergency barge and foot-passenger transportation during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis. Each of these services is provided at no cost to the passengers, subsidized by the County’s emergency funding awarded by the Governor’s Office.

“We’re off and running with this free service to the public and I’m pleased with our first week,” said County Council Chair Kari McVeigh who was on the inaugural sailing from Friday Harbor last Friday. “As this project moves forward, I’m eager to get feedback from the community and our operators to understand what this experiment has meant for our community.”

New Schedule for Daily Passenger Service

San Juan Safaris is providing seven-day a week, twice daily passenger-only transportation service to Friday Harbor, Orcas, Lopez, and Anacortes. Starting today, April 25, they will be utilizing an updated schedule that prioritizes getting passengers to their desired destination in a timely and consistent manner.

Use the table on the right to select the timing that is right for you. The schedule, along with booking information, is also located on the San Juan Safaris website.

Estimated Travel times: Friday Harbor to Orcas: 30min; Orcas to Lopez: 15min; Lopez to Anacortes: 75 minutes; The vessel does not stop at Shaw Island due to a lack of public dock space available on the island.

Growing Ridership

During the first week of service, San Juan Safaris reported transporting approximately 110 people – including eight bikes and two dogs – around the islands. Passengers sited using the service to travel for work, school, and leisure activities. With increasing reservations over the coming weeks, they expect that ridership will continue to grow.

The emergency interisland passenger service and emergency barge service were not activated as the Washington State Ferries did not experience service disruptions in the last week. Essential service providers interested in using the emergency barge service must pre-register to be contacted for emergency barge service. Pre-register here: https://sanjuancountywa.form.transform.civicplus.com/50601

Questions or Feedback?

Do you have questions about the County’s pilot project? We’d love to hear from you! Use the ‘Feedback’ tool on our website to provide comments on the pilot project. These comments will be compiled and provided to the County Council, to the operators if necessary, and others involved in the pilot project.

Feedback link: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services?tool=qanda#tool_tab

Questions specific to the route, booking a seat, and pickup/drop off locations should be directed to the operators. Use their websites to book your seat, see the schedule and pickup/drop off locations, read answers to frequently asked questions, and much more:

1. Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County provided by San Juan Safaris: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
2. Emergency Interisland Passenger Service provided by Outer Island Excursions: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
3. Emergency Barge Services provided by Pintail Marine: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service

Next Steps

The marine transportation services are available for ten weeks and will conclude on June 30, 2025, coinciding with the end of the State’s fiscal year.

For the next ten weeks, San Juan County encourages the public to take advantage of these services and to provide feedback via the website. Are these services helpful to you? What would make it better? All comments will be compiled and utilized in assessing the project.

For a complete list of information about the County’s pilot project to establish marine transportation services, please visit: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan County has established marine transportation services throughout the islands as part of a pilot project. These services include emergency passenger and barge services, available during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) services. In addition, the project will provide passenger travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis – regardless of WSF disruptions. Each of these services will be provided at no cost to the passenger, subsidized by the County’s emergency funding awarded by the Governor’s Office.

• When will these services be provided?
  • The daily passenger-only service between Anacortes and San Juan County will be available regardless of WSF disruptions. San Juan Safaris is providing seven-day a week, twice daily passenger-only service to Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Anacortes. With one trip in the morning and another in the evening, this service is structured to provide complete, round-trip service for passengers.
    • Daily Passenger-Only Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County info: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
  • The emergency services will be provided when there are disruptions to WSF service. The emergency passenger-only service will be available when the WSF interisland boat is out-of-service and/or service restoration time is either unknown or estimated at greater than four hours. County services will begin within two hours of the WSF disruption. During WSF service disruptions, operators will provide two service runs – one in the morning and one in the evening in an effort to provide complete, round-trip service for passengers. If the WSF service disruption occurs after 1:00pm, the operator will provide one trip through the route.
    • Emergency Passenger Interisland Service Info: https://www.outerislandx.com/pa/emergency-water-taxi
  • Emergency barge services will be provided when either WSF service is estimated to be out-of-service for greater than 24 hours or when the WSF mainland service is reduced to fewer than a 2-boat schedule. The barge service is only available for essential service vehicles for the purpose of meeting critical health, utility, and life/safety needs.
    • Emergency Barge Service info: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service
  • The transportation services will be available until June 30, 2025.
• How do I sign up for a seat on the boat?
  • Passengers can see the schedule, learn more about the program, and request seats via the operator websites:
    • Daily Passenger-Only Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County info: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
    • Emergency Passenger-Only Interisland Water Taxi Info: https://www.outerislandx.com/pa/emergency-water-taxi
• Where are the pick-up and drop-off locations?
  • Pick-up and drop-off locations vary by operator, so check their website for the specifics.
    • Daily Passenger-Only Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County info: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
    • Emergency Passenger-Only Interisland Water Taxi Info: https://www.outerislandx.com/pa/emergency-water-taxi
  • Please note that riders are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the designated pick-up and drop-off locations. There are no public land-based transportation services available on any of the islands.
• Is there a passenger fee?
  • These services are offered available at no cost to the passenger. The operators will be reimbursed by the County under their contract, using emergency funding awarded by the WA State Governor's Office in late 2024.
• What is the route? Can I go directly to my desired destination?
  • The transportation services operate using a set route – just like the ferry schedule. Passengers can get on and off at any location along the route. Remember, passenger-only service between Anacortes and the islands is available daily, regardless of WSF disruptions.
    • The Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County has a set, daily route and schedule. See the schedule: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
  • The schedule of emergency services will be determined based on the time the WSF disruption occurs. The schedule will be posted on the Outer Island Expedition website.
    • Emergency Interisland Passenger Service Info: https://www.outerislandx.com/pa/emergency-water-taxi
• Who gets to use the emergency barge service? Can I use it for my car?
  • The emergency barge service is not available for general public car transport. This service is provided for essential service providers for the purposes of meeting critical health, utility, and life/safety needs.
  • Service providers interested in utilizing emergency barge services must pre-register here: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service
• Is this just for locals? Can visitors use this service?
  • This project is funded using State dollars and is open to anyone – locals and visitors alike. This pilot project seeks to provide new and reliable options for interisland and off-island travel. While the County designed the marine transportation services with local needs in mind, (getting islanders home during WSF ferry service disruptions or supporting islanders’ access to mainland services) visitors are also welcome to utilize the services.
• Will the project be extended?
  • The County sought to extend the project as funding or the State might allow, but the Emergency Rapid Response funding used to fund the project does not cross fiscal years nor biennia. With that, the County’s marine transportation services will conclude on June 30, 2025, which coincides with the end of the State’s fiscal year.

SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. April 16, 2025 – San Juan County is pleased to launch marine transportation services throughout the islands as part of a pilot project. These services include emergency barge and foot-passenger transportation during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis. Each of these services will be provided at no cost to the passengers, subsidized by the County’s emergency funding awarded by the Governor’s Office.

“I’m proud that the County is taking steps to provide this valuable service to islanders,” said Council Chair Kari McVeigh. “I hope it will give locals peace of mind knowing there are options for them or their children to get home if the ferries are cancelled.”

The marine transportation services are available beginning this week and will conclude on June 30, 2025, coinciding with the end of the State’s fiscal year. Daily passenger service to between Anacortes and San Juan County will begin on Friday, April 18 and emergency services will be activated as needed. More information about the pilot project can be found on the County’s website: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services.

“We’ve set up a strong pilot program through which to serve our community, gather information, and learn about how we could manage something like this in the future,” said Council Vice-Chair Jane Fuller. “I see this as a first step in learning how to solve our transportation needs locally.”

Available Services

San Juan County has contracted with three local companies to provide:

• Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County – San Juan Safarisis providing seven-day a week, twice daily passenger-only service to Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Downtown Anacortes via Cap Sante Marina. With one trip in the morning and another in the evening, this service is structured to provide complete, round-trip service for passengers.
  • For specific information about the route, pick-up and drop-off locations, and booking information, please visit: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
• Emergency Interisland Passenger Service – Outer Island Excursionswill provide emergency passenger-only service to Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands when the WSF interisland boat experiences service disruptions. These services will be available when the WSF interisland boat is out-of-service and/or service restoration time is either unknown or estimated at greater than four hours. County services will begin within two hours of the WSF disruption. During WSF service disruptions, operators will provide two service runs – one in the morning and one in the evening in an effort to provide complete, round-trip service for passengers. If the WSF service disruption occurs after 1:00pm, the operator will provide one trip through the route.
  • For specific information about the route, pick-up and drop-off locations, and booking information, please visit: https://www.outerislandx.com/pa/emergency-water-taxi
• Emergency Barge Service – Pintail Marinewill provide emergency barge service for essential service providers between Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, Shaw, and Anacortes when WSF experiences service disruptions. These services will be available when either WSF service is estimated to be out-of-service for greater than 24 hours or when the WSF mainland service is reduced to fewer than a 2-boat schedule. This service is provided for the purpose of meeting critical health and life/ safety needs.
  • Essential service providers must pre-register to be contacted for emergency barge service. For more information about registering for barge transport, please visit: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service

“I’m grateful for all the operators who stepped up and wanted to be part of this pilot project,” said Councilmember Justin Paulsen. “I think the three companies involved in this project will be invaluable in collecting data, identifying ways to improve the systems, and shaping any attempt at providing future services.”

How do I learn more?

The best place to learn about the transportation options available to you are on the operator’s websites:

• Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County provided by San Juan Safaris: https://www.sanjuansafaris.com/passenger-boat-service
• Emergency Interisland Passenger Service provided by Outer Island Excursions: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
• Emergency Barge Services provided by Pintail Marine: https://www.pintailmarine.com/emergency-barge-service

For a complete list of information about the County’s pilot project to establish marine transportation services, please visit: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. April 2, 2025 – During this week’s March 31 Council meeting, the San Juan County Council reviewed responses to the County’s Request for Proposals (RFP) as part of the pilot project to establish marine transportation services throughout the islands. These services will be available at no cost to the public, subsidized by the County’s Emergency Rapid Response funding awarded by the WA State Governor's Office.

In the meeting, County staff provided an overview of the 11 proposals received and shared recommendations to begin contract negotiations. After reviewing the proposals and discussing the options, Council directed staff to initiate contract negotiations with three service providers: Pintail Marine, Outer Island Excursions, and San Juan Safaris.

Description of Services

San Juan County’s pilot project seeks to support interisland travel during disruptions to Washington State Ferry (WSF) service as well as travel to and from the mainland (Anacortes) on a daily basis.

• Daily Passenger Service Between Anacortes and San Juan County – The operator will provide seven-day a week, twice daily passenger-only service to Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Anacortes. With one trip in the morning and another in the evening, this service will be structured to provide complete, round-trip service for passengers.
• Emergency Interisland Passenger Service – The operator will provide passenger-only service to Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands when the WSF interisland boat experiences service disruptions. These services will be available when the WSF interisland boat is out-of-service and/or service restoration time is either unknown or estimated at greater than four hours. County services will begin within two hours of the WSF disruption. During WSF service disruptions, operators will provide two service runs – one in the morning and one in the evening in an effort to provide complete, round-trip service for passengers. If the WSF service disruption occurs after 1:00pm, the operator will provide one trip through the route.
• Emergency Barge Service – The operator will provide emergency barge service between Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Anacortes when WSF experiences service disruptions. These services will be available when either the WSF interisland service is estimated to be out-of-service for greater than 24 hours or when the WSF mainland service is reduced to fewer than a 2-boat schedule. This service is provided for the purpose of meeting critical health, utility, and life/safety needs.

Evaluation Process

County staff and councilmembers evaluated the proposals based on criteria listed in the RFPs, including the experience and credentials of the service provider, their vessel capacity, cost, and the speed at which they can begin services, among other factors.

Next Steps

County staff will initiate contract negotiations with the service providers selected by Council and work to establish clear communications on how to utilize the services. The County anticipates launching the pilot project and offering services beginning in mid-April.

During this time, service providers are expected to collect trip and ridership data to support long-term reporting goals for the project. Regular reports will detail number of trips completed, number of passengers served, and number of sailings cancelled, among other statistics.

County communications will provide regular updates and links as the operators make services available. For a complete list of information about the County’s pilot project to establish marine transportation services, please visit: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. March 25, 2025 –The San Juan County Council has established an interim system for emergency interisland passenger-only water taxi service. By contracting with an Orcas Island business, Outer Island Excursions, temporary interisland emergency water taxi service is now available through April 15, 2025, in the event the Washington State Ferry (WSF) interisland vessel is out of service.

Frequently Asked Questions:

When will interisland foot passenger services be provided?

Outer Island Excursions will monitor the interisland ferry schedule for cancellations. If a ferry is out of service, within two hours the company will provide emergency interisland passenger-only water taxi service between the WSF served islands. This interim emergency service will be provided through April 15, 2025. At that time, the County expects to roll out a more complete suite of marine transportation options as part of its pilot program to host such services due to ongoing WSF service disruptions on the Anacortes-San Juan Islands ferry route.

How do I sign up for a seat on the boat?

• Riders can sign up for seats aboard the boat, see the schedule, and learn more about the program via the Outer Island Excursions website:
  • Schedule: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
  • Sign Up for Seats: https://outerislandx.rezgo.com/details/388236/emergency-inter-island-water-taxi-service
  • Call with Questions: 360-376-3711

Where are the pick-up and drop-off locations for the emergency interisland passenger-only water taxi service?

• Pick-up and drop-off locations for the emergency interisland passenger-only water taxi service are located on each of the WSF served islands. These locations can be found on the Outer Island Excursions website referenced above. Please note that riders are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the designated pick-up and drop-off locations. There are no public land-based transportation services available on any of the islands.

Is there a passenger fee?

• This service is offered at no charge for passengers. Outer Island Excursions will be reimbursed by the County under their contract, using emergency funding awarded by the WA State Governor's Office in late 2024.

How often will the boats be running?

• In the event of a service disruption to the WSF interisland ferry, Outer Island Excursions will create and broadly publish a schedule for the emergency interisland passenger-only water taxi service at designated landing sites. Service will begin within 2 hours after WSF informs the public of the service disruption.
• During service disruptions, Outer Island Excursions will make at a minimum two (2) round trips per day between the ferry served islands. However, if a service disruption begins after 1:00 p.m., the boats will make a minimum of one (1) round trip per day on that day.
• Please note that Outer Island Excursions will stop service if wind speed consistently exceeds 30 knots. They may make additional trips that are reasonably necessary to transport persons stranded due to interisland service disruption.

What is the route? Can I go directly to my desired destination?

• The emergency passenger-only interisland water taxi operates in a "boomerang," starting and ending at the Orcas Island Ferry Terminal. It has a set route - just like the ferry schedule.
• Passengers can get on and off at any location along the route. The actual schedule will be determined based on the time the WSDOT Ferry disruption occurs. The emergency water taxi schedule will be posted on the Outer Island Excursions website: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi

How many passengers can Outer Island Excursions carry at one time?

• Outer Island Excursions has different sized vessels and will be ready to accommodate the number of passengers requiring transportation on the route when the WSF interisland service goes down.

What about all the other emergency marine transportation services that were to be established with the funds from the WA State Governor’s office?

• In February, San Juan County released a series of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) asking for interested parties to provide a variety of transportation services throughout the County. These services include:
  • Passenger-only ferry service from Anacortes to the WSF served San Juan Islands.
  • Emergency interisland passenger-only water taxi service between the WSF served islands.
  • Emergency barge transportation services between the ferry served islands.
• Each of these services will be financed with the emergency funding awarded to the County by the Governor’s office, and these services will be provided at no charge to the users as part of the County’s pilot program.
• In response to the County’s RFPs, 11 proposals were received and are being reviewed and evaluated.
• The County expects to award contracts to service providers by mid-April and open the full suite of services to the public. Further updates will be provided by the County as soon as contracts have been awarded.

For additional information regarding the emergency passenger-only interisland water taxi services, please contact Outer Island Excursions at:

• Website: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
• Email: outerislandx@hotmail.com
• Phone: (360) 376-3711

For additional information from the County regarding the establishment of additional emergency marine transportation services, please contact Mark Tompkins at markt@sanjuancountywa.gov.

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SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. March 19, 2025 – As San Juan County works through the 11 proposals received for emergency transportation services as part of its Request for Proposals (RFP) process, the Council has established an interim system for interisland travel.

This week, the County finalized a contract with an Orcas Island business, Outer Island Excursions, to develop temporary interisland transportation services through April 15, 2025, in the event the interisland ferry is out of service before the full suite of pilot services from the RFP process is available. Providing this service has been discussed at several recent Council meetings and reflects Council’s desire to extend the availability of the pilot program.

“We want to ensure that even while we’re setting up the full array of transportation options, our residents who rely upon interisland travel for their jobs, medical appointments, and schooling can still move between the islands during outages,” said Council Chair Kari McVeigh.

Per the one-month contract, Outer Island Excursions will monitor the interisland ferry schedule for cancellations. If a ferry is out of service, within two hours the company will provide foot passenger transportation between the islands. Riders can sign up for seats aboard the boat, see the schedule, and learn more about the program via their website:

• Schedule: https://www.outerislandx.com/emergency-water-taxi
• Sign Up for Seats: https://outerislandx.rezgo.com/details/388236/emergency-inter-island-water-taxi-service
• Call with Questions: 360-376-3711

This interim service will be provided through April 15, 2025. At that time, the County expects to roll out a more complete suite of transportation options as part of its pilot program to host Emergency Transportation Services.

Status of Process for Emergency Transportation Services

In February, San Juan County released a series of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) asking for interested parties to provide a variety of transportation services throughout the County. Three separate RFPs outlined services including foot passenger transportation from Anacortes to San Juan County, inter-island foot passenger transportation, and emergency barge transportation services. The County received a total of 11 proposals and is currently in the process of reviewing, evaluating, and awarding the contracts.

The County expects to award contracts to service providers by mid-April.

Project Background

In August of 2024, Council issued a request to the Governor’s Office for ‘executive relief’ from ferry service disruptions, providing a 180-day proposal. This request was granted in September when WA State Governor Jay Inslee traveled to Friday Harbor to announce an award of $1.5 million from the Department of Commerce’s Emergency Rapid Response fund, with a contract finalized in November. San Juan County’s program aims to support three main initiatives during ferry service disruptions:

• Interisland passenger-only water taxi service   
• Anacortes / San Juan Islands passenger-only charter service   
• On-call essential/critical services barge transportation   

Funding from the Governor’s Office will support these three pilot initiatives on an interim and emergency basis.  The pilot project is expected to commence under a schedule proposed by the service provider and agreed to by the County. At this time, the project is expected to conclude on June 30, 2025, but may be extended as funding allows.

Questions? Contact: Mark Tompkins, Health & Community Services Director, 360-370-7517, markt@sanjuancountywa.gov

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