Horses by nature do not like to go in a trailer and be pulled by a car down the freeway. Ladybug was old enough so that her years of experience had taught her to be unafraid of the horse trailer; she would walk right into the big metal box. Her stable mates would often take a month or so of training to gain the confidence to go into the trailer. This process involved a lot of encouragement, some hunger, and plenty of grain, hay, or carrots.

At our farm on San Juan Island, our little girl soon outgrew her pony. She was on her way to six feet of height and becoming familiar with the basketball court. It was time for Ladybug to be passed on to other young children who wanted a little pony. We put an ad in the Journal for the San Juans and hoped to get a call.

The phone call came from a woman who lived on Stuart Island! She said that there was a little black pony on Stuart and a little white pony friend would be perfect for the children who lived there. She sounded very well informed about horses and she came out that week to look at Ladybug to check her out. She liked what she saw and agreed to buy her for a modest price. Here was the problem: there were no ferries that went to Stuart Island, only boats and planes. Her idea was for me to drive our horse trailer downtown to Friday Harbor, unload Ladybug, and turn over the lead to her. She would walk Ladybug in her halter onto a BARGE, stay on the other end of the line all the way out past the end of San Juan Island and on the Stuart. When the barge reached the shore of Stuart, the pony would then step off. I was so nervous about this adventure that I tried to talk her out of it. I told her I did not want to be there to see the pony walk onto the barge. I was certain that the water would freak her out and she would be running home to our pastures along the main road from Friday Harbor, her lead flying out behind her. I had been on many trail rides where my mount decided not to set foot in the two inch creek of moving water in order to reach the other side. The Buyer assured me that everything would be just fine, not to worry. She could handle it, etc.

I slunk home in my car, feeling guilty and imagining all sorts of crazy barge-horse problems. As I unhitched the trailer I saw the other horses staring at it with curiosity. What had become of Ladybug? Had she entirely disappeared? Back at home I tried to get calm as I remembered Marguerite Henry’s book about the ponies of Chincoteague which swam from the island to the mainland. I thought of the island deer that would swim from one island to another. I anxiously awaited a call from the new owner to tell me that Ladybug had safely reached the yonder shore. And, of course, she did. If I had been on the barge, she probably would not have for she would have sensed my fears and acted out upon them. For the new owner, who expected no such accidents, she behaved perfectly as expected. Ladybug and the little black pony lived out their lives giving pleasure to the children of Stuart Island.

At the terminal

Cars line up at one main window toll booth to purchase a ticket or have one electronically scanned. After getting a ticket you go to another little close-by shed where someone tells you which lane to get into so that you end up on the correct island. The numbers are painted onto the ferry lanes. Once you are in the ferry line you are free to wander around, visit the restrooms, walk your dog, etc. When it is time to get back to the car you will hear the announcement and likely hear the ferry come in and unload people returning to the mainland.

If you were a little late and the ferry was already full, the person at the shed may tell you with a frown, “Sorry, you are on overload.” She will be putting a little tab under your windshield wiper that says what number you are in the overload line. You can ask her the number; it usually isn’t too much hope if you are over number ten. And, of course, it all depends upon the length of the cars ahead of you. It is amazing how many cars they can squeeze on that ferry, so don’t give up hope until you see it leave the dock without you!

If you are on foot or have a bicycle, then you need to go to the main terminal down by the water. You can get your ticket there and then if you are walking go right from the waiting room onto the upper level of the boat via an overhead walkway. Be warned, though, that when you get to any of the islands, the way off will be from the car deck, not the top level.

In installment III we will discuss my own personal views about ferry etiquette.

Get a ferry schedule before you tell anyone when you will be arriving.  You can go online to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/.  This is the department of transportation’s ferry website.  It has the most up-to-date information.  For example, sometimes the ferries are on special holiday schedule and occasionally one will break down or be late.  Also, note that the ferry schedule (and also the prices) changes four times a year.  The prices and the lines are highest in the summer.  So, go online and make sure you are looking at a current schedule and that nothing is out of the ordinary for the day you are choosing.

Here’s a good suggestion:  try to arrive on a weekday as the bulk of people coming to the island travel on weekends.  Why does this matter:  the ferries are often overcrowded. Except for ferries going to Sidney B.C., there are no reservations (unless you have had surgery and your doctor has faxed in to the ferry terminal a request for you.)  This means that if you choose a weekend and try to get on the ferry Friday night or Saturday you may have a big wait.  Even if you are going on a regular weekday, it is wise to give yourself at least an hour or more from the time of your arrival at the Anacortes terminal to when your ferry leaves. (It follows that the best time to leave, as far as the flow goes, would be on a weekday also.  Some summer visitors can have long waits on a Sunday afternoon.)

Look at the ferry schedule.  You will see that not all the ferries go to all the islands.  Some schedules for summer have a different schedule for the weekend than the weekday.  Be sure you are looking at the right place.  Each island usually only has about five to seven departures daily.  Some ferries stop at all the islands; some go straight through to one island.  You will also see that not all ferries depart from Anacortes.  Some ferries just toot around between the islands of Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and Friday Harbor.  Islands call these the Inter-Island ferries.  Once you are in the San Juan Islands, you can use the Inter-Island ferries with a lot less worry about lines and waiting.

Now, look at the departure time, from Anacortes and follow it to the island you wish to visit for the arrival time.  Here’s a hint:  do it at least twice, or better yet, have another person check it with you.  It is not rocket science, but I doubt you could find an islander who hasn’t made a mistake at least once in this simple step.  Yours truly included, and I’ve lived on the island since 1977.  In the next installment we will discuss the ferry terminal.