We are pleased to report that the West Seattle Water Taxi will be back in service Monday morning, Nov. 2. The contractors have reinstalled the dock-to-shore ramp at Seacrest Dock that was removed for repairs, resulting in cancellation of West Seattle service Thursday and Friday. The damaged hinge and attachment mechanism (pin) have since been replaced:

So just what does our crew do while West Seattle Water Taxi is out of service? Catch up on some training and maintenance!

The boarding ramp received new non-skid surface in preparation for rainy season.

Vessels are being EXTRA deep-cleaned. While public-facing surfaces are deep cleaned daily, boats out of service means that we can remove ceiling panels, access the baseboards, and weatherize windows.

We’re also running additional training exercises and emergency drills for crew members:

1. Our vessels have an installed rescue platform to assist anyone in distress. The block and tackle above our crew member’s head (shown above) enables any crew member to pull anyone out of the water using the harness, regardless of peoples’ size and strength.

2. We ran a fire drills. Three high-pressure hoses (one shown above) located onboard can reach all areas of the ship or be used to assist another vessel or something on the dock.

3. In this photo, the crew is preparing to abandon ship. Two life rafts — one on either side — can be deployed for passengers and crew to climb into.

We’ll see you back on the high seas come Monday!