The Wednesday sinking of the British Columbia ferry Queen of the North might have some ferry passengers eyeing where the life vests and lifeboats are on the private and publicly owned vessels that service the North Olympic Peninsula.
But the U.S. Coast Guard advises people not to worry.
If one of those vessels found itself in dire straits in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, there would be enough life vests and lifeboats to save every passenger and crew member.
The U.S. Coast Guard said ferries servicing the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound area would be as well prepared as the Queen of the North.
The Queen of the North sank after hitting a rock off Gil Island in Wright Sound, which is about 80 miles south of Prince Rupert and 580 miles northwest of Seattle.
Only two of the 101 passengers on board are missing.
Two year-round ferries
The two year-round ferries servicing the North Olympic Peninsula are the MV Coho, owned by Black Ball Transport out of Port Angeles, and MV Klickitat, operated by Washington State Ferries out of Port Townsend.
“There are a whole … extensive array of standards the vessels have to meet in order to operate them,” said John Dwyer, chief of inspection for the Sector Seattle Division of the Coast Guard.
Not only do the ferries undergo safety inspections up to five times a year, but their crews are required by the Coast Guard to participate in weekly emergency response drills, Dwyer said.
Ferry crews have to undergo complete emergency response training courses similar to those of flight attendants, and must demonstrate their abilities to carry out those functions on a regular basis, Dwyer said.
100-percent capacity
The Coast Guard also inspects each vessel to ensure that it has at least a 100-percent capacity of life safety gear for the number of passengers permitted on board, Dwyer said,
Holding up to 1,000 people and 110 cars, the MV Coho is similar in size to the Queen of the North, which held up to 700 people and 115 cars.
Dwyer said the number of life vests on the privately-owned MV Coho, which transports passengers between Port Angeles and Victoria, is at 100 percent capacity and its lifeboats are at 105 percent of capacity.
For the MV Klickitat operated by the Washington State Ferries system between Port Townsend and Keystone, there is 100 percent capacity in its life vests and lifeboats, said Susan Harris, customer information manager for State Ferries.
The MV Klickitat holds up to 616 people and 75 cars, Harris said.
The privately owned, 149-passenger-only Victoria Express, which operates between May 27 and Sept. 24 shuttling passengers between Port Angeles and Victoria, also has to meet Coast Guard 100 percent capacity safety gear regulations, Dwyer said.
In addition, the Victoria Express and MV Coho have to meet international standards because their vessels cross the Canadian border, and receive safety inspections performed by the U.S. and Canadian coast guards, Dwyer said.
