The state ferry system plans to add more than 40 additional crew members after staffing shortages caused 82 cancelled sailings so far this year.

Marta Coursey, a spokeswoman for Washington State Ferries (WSF), said that since the U.S. Coast Guard ordered minimum staff numbers on some ferries be increased last fall and again this spring, the system has struggled to maintain the crew levels required to sail. When staff members call in or fail to show up for work and a replacement can’t be found quickly, runs are often cancelled.

“This has been especially true during our busy summer season,” Coursey said in an email to The Beachcomber.

The staffing issues came to a head last month, when both of Vashon’s ferry routes were affected by staffing shortages. On Saturday, Sept. 7, 31 one-way trips were cancelled on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route and the Point Defiance-Tahlequah route due to staffing shortages.

So far this year, there have been 48 one-way sailings cancelled on the north-end triangle route and 16 trips cancelled on the Point Defiance route.

Coursey said WSF tries hard to fill shifts when there are staffing shortages. Dispatchers make 300 calls a day on average to fill shifts, she said, and on that weekend in September they made nearly 800 calls.

After the missed runs on Sept. 7, Secretary of Transportation Lynn Peterson called for WSF to add 45 deckhand positions, according to a report in The Seattle Times. Some deckhands who were originally brought on only for the summer will be now be retained by WSF, and 15 additional deckhands will be hired.

Deputy Chief Captain George Capacci said the boats will maintain the same staffing levels, but the additional hires should help prevent cancelled sailings as there will be more deckhands to call upon in a shortage.