A Modest Passage: Port Orchard's Gutsy Little Foot Ferries

I like the humility of a foot ferry, its unassuming yet essential nature, refusing to become obsolete in an era of superferries and floating bridges.

Only a couple of foot ferry companies still operate in Washington state: one in Grays Harbor which shuttles people between Westport and Ocean Shores during the summer months; and the other in my own backyard, between Bremerton and Port Orchard.

Now run by the Horluck Transportation Co., this little fleet west of Seattle has hauled people across inland waters for more than 70 years. Four ferries carry on the tradition: the Eagle, Retsil, Thurow and Carlisle II (an original member of the famous mosquito fleet).

With several ways to reach them, I choose the easiest - a superferry from Seattle to Bremerton. Not only is it fast, but the trip also sets up the right attitude of appreciation for the little guys.

Welcome aboard

It's raining when we land in Bremerton. Across to my right and 40 feet down is the Retsil, gently bumping a dock lined with tires. Next to the superferry, it looks like a bath toy, a blue and white rubber duck.

In reality, there's nothing soft about the Retsil. If need be, it can take on 87 people and when I arrive at her side there's already a line. I take my place as Capt. Bill Nearhoff checks the regulars coming on board. They wear Kitsap County Transit passes or U.S. Navy identification clipped to their lapels.

I have no pass. From me he requires exactly $1.

Settling into the wood seats, my fellow passengers are mostly tired-looking workers from the nearby shipyards, their metal lunch buckets empty and shoved beneath their feet.

As the boat backs away from the dock, two men argue about previous night's Sonics loss against the Bulls.

"Aw, nobody can beat Jordan," says one. "Forget about it."

"Yeah, they can so," the other shoots back. "I'll bet you anything."

Although it's early afternoon, they exhale the sweet smell of beer. It is not unpleasant and fits with the rattle of rain on the windows.

Across from me a clean-cut young man leans against his yellow bicycle, swathed head to ankle in black rain gear. A Navy senior chief, he lives in Port Orchard and bikes to work via the foot ferry.

Having lived in Hong King and Singapore, he's used to getting around on water. "Over there, they rely on boats," the young man says. "I wish there were more small ferries around here."

Future and past

Me, too. In fact, Horluck hopes to introduce high-speed passenger ferry service from different points in Kitsap County to Seattle. Thus far, the company has been unable to convince authorities of the plan's worth, but it's just a matter of time predicts our captain, Bill.

"The roads are so crowded," he says, shaking his head as if he can't understand why the rest of us bother with asphalt. "On a ferry you can sit down and relax. Eventually, the boats will make a comeback."

The boats have always been a part of his life.

For decades, Bill's grandfather owned the fleet out of Port Orchard. "We used to have more ferries," he says, "and we carried 16,000 people through here during the war."

He talks about the little towns they served - Annapolis, Point White - and how he got his start in the family business early, working as a deckhand at 14.

"Came down to the docks every morning before school then came back after school," he recalls.

As a young man, Bill left the sea to work as a cabinetmaker in Tacoma, but later returned, taking up the serious duties of captain in 1961. The business fell to him eventually, and only recently did he sell it to Horluck.

"It was time," Bill tells me. Someday, he'll head south, to a place without water. "When I retire, I'm going to Phoenix," he laughs. "Do a little golfing."

Bill keeps his eyes on the water while he talks, allowing just a quick glance across the tiny pilot house to acknowledge me, then his eyes swing back like headlights in the dark, watching, watching.

He reminds me of Norman Mailer, a writer I have long admired in spite of myself. Bill has the look of a pugilist punching his way through water.

Steering into Sinclair Inlet, he uses one hand to turn the large brass wheel. "I like running the boat. It's always different out here."

Occasionally, the crossing yields surprises.

"Oh yeah," he nods. "People jump off and try to kill themselves sometimes, or they get rowdy."

Once, an intoxicated man boarding in Bremerton passed out during the 10-minute trip and remained unconscious in Port Orchard.

"I couldn't carry him off alone, so I just took him back," Bill remembers. "He woke up on the other side and walked off right where he started."

So far, there have been no babies born en route, the one event that would shatter this captain's calm. "I couldn't do that," he says with alarm. "I can't do the doctor thing."

The big blow

Weather is less difficult than people but it can be tough. During the Columbus Day storm of 1962, inland waters were tossed by hurricane-force winds, yet Bill showed up for work as usual.

"Most people were too scared to go," he chuckles, "but I made two trips in." He dismisses the hurricane with a wave of his hand. "It was fine."

The day I ride, it's blustery and rain pours off the wood-frame windows. No water seeps in, thanks to duct-tape patches in critical places. His captain's chair, an old wood stool, it likewise patched, the entire cushion hidden under layers of silver tape. It's a good old boat.

Hard-working as the Retsil is, Horluck's flagship is the Carlisle II. It carries 147 people, pressed into service during heavy commute hours and tourist season.

With a gracefully upswept bow, two decks (including a pretty sun deck) and all-wood construction, the Carlisle is a floating museum. Photographs and stories line the walls, telling of her heyday with the mosquito fleet. Now run on diesel, she was one of many boats that once steamed across Puget Sound, a "swarm" which picked up mail and travelers more than 70 years ago.

The Carlisle's history

Gary Turner, manager of Horluck and a former freighter captain, revels in her history. "The Carlisle is the oldest continuously operating member of the original mosquito fleet that's still in service," he states, fierce about its pedigree - and more than that, its guts. "Except for repairs, the Carlisle hasn't missed a day of work in 72 years."

In all that time, its ridership has changed very little until recently.

"This has always been a mom and pop operation," Bill explains. "It's mostly a blue-collar crowd that uses the foot ferry."

Increasingly though, refugees from the city are seen. The company estimates up to 20 percent of their passengers are now people who work in Seattle but live around Port Orchard.

As the weather warms, tourists mingle with shipworkers and urbanites. They come to take in Port Orchard's festivals and farmers' market, to browse the antique stores. As an added incentive, the foot ferry is free of charge on weekends from May 3-Oct. 26.

I see few visitors the day I go. It's a workday, the sun's not out, and the program is serious. I came to ride, not tour, and I do, several times back and forth on the Retsil, once during "rush hour" on the Carlisle II.

On one landing in Port Orchard, last off is an elderly man, who struggles to take the short step from boat to dock. Seeing this, Bill hustles over and takes the man's arm, chatting and guiding him to the rain-slick planks that lead to town. The old man toddles off as a new load of passengers come aboard.

"Old friend?" I ask Bill. Busy checking passes and collecting fares, he throws me a quick grin.

"Never seen him before," he says.

--------- If you go ---------

The easiest way to the foot ferry from Seattle without a car is to hop a Seattle-Bremerton run. For schedule information, call 206-464-6400 or 800-843-3779. Crossing time is about one hour. The Horluck Transportation Co. docks are right next to the Bremerton ferry terminal. The foot ferries run so often the wait will be short.

If you're driving, you can take the Bainbridge Island ferry and drive to Bremerton, or try the route from West Seattle: Board the Fauntleroy ferry and get off at Southworth. Drive Highway 160 to Bethel Road and turn right to Port Orchard. Another way is to cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and drive Highway 16 to Port Orchard.

For cyclists, here's a recommended loop: Leave the car in downtown Seattle and ride to the Fauntleroy ferry, taking it to Southworth. Cycle to Port Orchard and when you're ready, get on the foot ferry, then take the Bremerton run back to Seattle and your car.

For a more relaxed trip, camp overnight at Manchester State Park, just east of Port Orchard, where there are 53 campsites available (first-come, first-served; call 360-871-4065 for information). Or call the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce for a list of local bed-and-breakfasts, as well as general information: 800-982-8139 or 360-876-3505.

Many visitors appreciated Port Orchard's many antique shops. The Victorian Rose Tea Room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as high tea every other Wednesday and Saturday. Tea-drinkers, call for reservations: 360-876-5695. Connie McDougall is a Seattle freelance writer.