The hardest part of this reunion may be getting to the island on time. It is important to follow the steps below so you can board the correct ferry, arrive on time, and collect your key to your FHL cabin:
1) On or after April 22, 2025, go to this website:
https://wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/scheduledetailbyroute.aspx?route=ana-sj-sid
Make a Car Ferry reservation for the NOON Anacortes-Friday Harbor Ferry on Sept 15, 2025, and a return reservation for the Friday Harbor-to-Anacortes Ferry on Sept 19, 2025.10:55 AM. They ask for your Credit Card info, but if your plans change, you can get a full refund of the charges if you cancel before the sailing.
2) Call The Marina Inn in Anacortes (800) 231-5198 and make a reservation for the night of Sunday, September 14, 2025. If your plans change, you can cancel for a full refund if you cancel 24 hr ahead.
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WHY DOING THESE STEPS NOW IS IMPORTANT
This is shaping up to be a great reunion, but it is happening on a busy resort island and there are a couple of time-sensitive things that need to be done well in advance:
Nearly all of us will be staying in the Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL) cabins and cottages. Each of you in an FHL cabin MUST check into your assigned cabin on Monday, September 15, 2025, and this MUST occur AFTER 3:00 PM and BEFORE 7:00 PM. The only way to arrive on the island in time to meet the check-in requirements is to take the Washington Car Ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. The best ferry time for us is the Departure at NOON, arriving at 1:10 PM. You need to have a reservation and be in the ferry line at least 45 minutes prior to departure. If that time doesn’t work for you, you could take the next ferry, departing at 2:00 PM and arriving at 3:10 PM, again needing a reservation and being in the line 45 minutes prior to sailing.
In order to be in Anacortes early enough to get the noon ferry, we are strongly recommending that you stay in an Anacortes hotel the previous night. Information about a recommended hotel is listed below.
At this busy time of year, even making a ferry reservation requires some early action. In just a few days, the ferry reservation system for the summer season will become active:
Reservations for the summer Washington State ferry season will open Tuesday, April 22 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time.
At that time, you can go online and make a ferry reservation from Anacortes to Friday Harbor and return. Only 30% of the slots will be available at this time. Another 30% won’t be available until 2 weeks from your departure date and the remainder 2 days from departure. (Foot passengers do not need a reservation.) A senior discount is available.
So it is important to get your ferry reservations as soon as they are available.
Unless you are NOT planning to travel to Friday Harbor on Monday, Sept. 15, we strongly suggest you reserve the Noon ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. It arrives in Friday Harbor at 1:10 PM, giving you time to go to the local market to buy supplies and food for your cabin before checking in at the Friday Harbor Laboratories at 3:00 PM. Again, if this ferry departure time doesn’t work for you, the 2:00 PM departure would also work, but you would not have much time to go shopping before coming to FHL to get your cabin key.
When you make your ferry reservation, also make a return reservation for the time and date you plan to leave the island. The reunion ends Friday, Sept. 19 (check-out is 11 AM). For example, you might select the Friday Harbor-to-Anacortes return ferry that leaves at 10:55 AM, which would get you back to Anacortes at 12:05 PM. Or you could book the 8:05 AM departure, arriving in Anacortes at 9:15 AM. If you want to stay more days in Friday Harbor, you’ll need to make a reservation at an island hotel for any nights after Thursday night, Sept. 18, since FHL will not be able to extend your stay in their cabins for any reason.
Here is the link to the ferry reservation page:
https://wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/scheduledetailbyroute.aspx?route=ana-sj-sid
General information about car ferry reservations is found here:
https://secureapps.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/reservations/vehicle/default.aspx
When you make a reservation, you will be asked for your credit card number. No charge is made until you arrive at the ferry terminal and check in. There is no charge for the return trip. You can change your reservation or cancel if your plans change.
SUGGESTED HOTEL PRIOR TO FERRY TRAVEL
We suggest you make a hotel reservation in Anacortes now for the night of Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in order to take the ferry on the morning of Sept. 15. The Marina Inn is a good place to stay and has a Senior or AAA discount. The website is www.marinainnwa.com. The phone number is (800) 231-5198. If you want to use the Senior discount, you’ll need to reserve by phone.
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Please call Jack Van Olst (760) 500-1928 or Kristine Van Olst (760) 300-8076 if you have any questions. We would appreciate a note from you telling us that you have successfully made your ferry and motel reservations, and any heads-up advice about problems you may have encountered. Thanks to the eight people who already responded on the first day to say that the reservation system worked as expected.