Kitsap Transit has canceled several Kingston-Seattle fast ferry trips this summer, and the disruptions have piled up fast: boats on the route have missed 33 sailings since the start of August alone. The agency blames mechanical problems, and it has no backup vessel for the run, meaning a single breakdown can strand commuters with little warning. Officials are now telling riders to brace for more cancellations before the month is out.
According to The Seattle Times, transportation reporter Mike Lindblom reports that Kitsap Fast Ferries posted a 98% to 99% on-time performance rate in the first half of 2026 before this month’s wave of breakdowns. Kitsap Transit has issued a service disruption alert that remains in effect through Aug. 31, warning that the outages could continue.
No Backup For The Aging M/V Finest
The trouble centers on the M/V Finest, a vessel built in 1996 that joined Kitsap Transit’s fleet in 2018. The agency purchased the Finest from New York Waterway and invested $7.5 million to overhaul it before putting it into cross-sound service, according to Kitsap Transit.
Before it ever crossed Puget Sound, the Finest played a role in one of the largest maritime evacuations in American history. It arrived as the second commercial rescue vessel on scene during the boatlift that evacuated people fleeing the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, according to Smithsonian Magazine…