Washington State Ferry with Coast Guard Escort

2/22/2014 ~ Washington State Ferry with Coast Guard Escort, Elliot Bay, Seattle, WA

On a cold and wet Seattle day a visit to West Seattle to look for a photo opportunity. The passing 460 ft (140.21 meters) Ferry with two escort boats caught my eye.

Washington State Ferries operates the largest ferry system in the United States. Twenty-two ferries cross Puget Sound and its inland waterways, carrying more than 22 million passengers to 20 different ports of call. From Tacoma, Washington, to Sidney, British Columbia, the ferries travel up and down the Sound, acting as a marine highway for commercial users, tourists and daily commuters alike.

Coast Guard Sector Seattle, headquartered at Pier 36, has used 13 locally based boats to escort ferries and, occasionally, cruise ships since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2005 the Coast Guard added six defender-class boat which can travel up to 60 miles per hour, to Seattle's 13-boat security flotilla.

The Coast Guard enforces a 100-yard security perimeter around ferries and cruise ships. The Coast Guard does not provide security to specific ferries or routes, but keeps a fluid schedule. Each boat has a 4 man crew with a sidearm, and on-board is at least one M-60 machine gun, assault rifle, and a shotgun.