Growing up in Alaska, Hawai’i and the Northwest, Dan Krehbiel has been on or near the water most of his life. While working at his parent’s fuel depot in Juneau, Alaska, he thought he could “make a living on the water.”

After decades of piloting tour boats and fast ferries from Trinidad and the Caribbean to Alaska and the Columbia River, an ad in a trade magazine caught his eye: the chance to pilot a passenger ferry system in Seattle.

“I flew down, did the interview and flew back.”

The job was to be the captain of the fledgling King County Ferry District.

After 16 years at the wheel, Dan Krehbiel, “Captain Dan,” the King County Water Taxi’s first boat captain, is getting ready to retire. Part of his legacy is helping grow a passenger-only ferry fleet that has two routes and carries thousands of passengers every day between downtown Seattle, West Seattle and Vashon and Maury Island.

Krehbiel was recognized by Metro, the King County Council and County Executive Shannon Braddock at a ceremony inside council chambers prior to his last day in the wheelhouse, which is Friday, July 25.

One boat, one route

In 2009, the King County Ferry District consisted of one leased catamaran, two engineers, two deckhands—and one captain. Krehbiel united with his team to order supplies, conduct training, prepare mooring lines and boarding ramps and ensure the M/V Melissa Ann was ready to sail to Vashon in October 2009.

Captain Dan has seen the fleet grow from three leased vessels to two boats designed for the King County Water Taxi, a back-up boat and a staff of 40 employees operating two routes: Vashon to Seattle five days a week and West Seattle to Seattle seven days a week.

That growth, to becoming a vital part of the regional transit system, is one of the accomplishments that Krehbiel is proudest of. “To see how we’ve grown and see how many people depend on us to get to and from Vashon and West Seattle has been the best part of being on the water taxi team.”

He is also proud of seeing people he has watched grow from deckhands to captains in the system. “They start with a certain amount of skill and they have picked up aspects and continued to grow.”  

“It’s kind of been a day”

Krehbiel says the primary job of a captain is similar to a lot of other positions: “Personnel and project management—until it’s not.”

On Nov. 2, 2023, a windy day on Elliott Bay, Krehbiel, along with Deckhands Cory Bantam and Nick Williams were on the M/V Doc Maynard making their way back to downtown Seattle from West Seattle when they noticed something unusual—an unmoored, 300-foot container barge moving toward the Seattle waterfront, in a direct line to collide into the Washington State Ferry Terminal and the Seattle Great Wheel.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kara Johnson – @TrueNWGirl29 on X – for the video.

Krehbiel says, “some have asked me if what I did was a split-second decision. It was actually a four to five second decision.”

The decision: to steer his boat—which had 14 passengers onboard—into the barge and push it away from the center of the waterfront.

What was going through his mind in those seconds when he had his ship bump the barge?

“Can I protect my passengers and crew? Was I willing to damage the boat if I had to?”

The only damage to the Doc Maynard was a spot of green paint transferred from the barge from where it struck the vessel.  

Krehbiel worked with Williams and Bantam to prepare the ship for impact and informed the passengers what the water taxi was preparing to do. He still smiles when saying that shortly after his announcement to the passengers, he heard one of the passengers yell “cool!”

The result of the actions of the Doc Maynard: the barge was diverted further north along the waterfront where it did minimal damage, the water taxi trip back to downtown Seattle was 15 minutes late, and Krehbiel was thrusted into a media moment that he admits “was a little out of my wheelhouse.”

The barge diversion occurred on the last run of the day for Krehbiel, who after leaving work called his wife Lisa to tell her: “It’s kind of been a day.”

The national publicity from the incident was surprising to a person who admits most of the time the only thing he says to passengers is: “Thank you for riding, hope you have a great day.” He shrugs off any praise, saying he simply acted like he was taught working on boats in Alaska: “You deal with the situation with the tools you have and go back to work.”

Bigger office with a better view

As Captain Dan prepares for his last sailing, he says he will miss the scenes that change on a daily basis when crossing the Salish Sea.

“When people ask me what’s the best part of my job, I like to joke that ‘my office is bigger and my view is better.’”

The next port of call for Krehbiel and his wife is the Midwest, to be closer to their daughter and where he’ll still be on the water, just with “a smaller boat.” His plan is to start looking at all of the photos he’s taken of his time on the water and put together an album of his best shots.  

One of the memories Krehbiel will take with him into retirement is the passengers who tell him how life changing the King County Water Taxi system that he helped build has been.

“The people who tell me how the water taxi has made it easier for them to get to work, or to a medical appointment, it’s great to know how good our system has become.”

Words of recognition for Capt. Dan Krehbiel

“As a regular water taxi rider, I have seen how the service has grown over the years and the role that Captain Dan has had in these routes becoming a vital transportation option. Thank you for your service to King County and for the great legacy you helped build.”
–King County Executive Shannon Braddock

“Thank you, Captain Dan, for the dedication you’ve put into building our passenger-only ferry service. You quite literally helped build the current fleet, and that knowledge of the vessels played a role – especially in knowing that our ships could handle shifting a barge away from the heart of the waterfront. In big ways and small, you helped keep our region moving safely and reliably. I wish you and Lisa happiness at your next port of call.”
–King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison

“Captain, your calm under pressure in November 2023 is emblematic of the time you’ve been with the Marine Division. I appreciate the challenges you’ve had a hand in solving over the years and thecrucial position you’ve had from the start as we’ve grown into a regular part in the lives of so many people. Wishing you ‘Fair winds and following seas.’”  
–King County Marine Director Terry Federer

“On behalf of ferry-dependent communities in District 8 and as a frequent rider myself, thank you Captain Dan for your contributions to our county. As the first pilot of the water taxi to Vashon Island, you know how valuable the service is to people in our region traveling to and from Vashon and Maury Island. Your remarkable career has had an impact on thousands of people who have come to depend on the quick, reliable service across the Salish Sea. Thank you for setting the path that others will follow.”
–King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who represents Vashon and Maury Island