Traveling by train is, in my opinion, the best way to get around. However, taking a slow boat between land masses isn't a too shabby way to travel either. I ride the Coho Ferry, which crosses the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a few dozen times each year. When Jen and I were living apart, she on the island and me on the mainland, it used to play a symbolic role in our relationship as it was either bringing us together or taking one of us away (in fact, one of those dark ant-sized spots standing on the front of the Coho in the bottom right image above is none other than Jen). Now that I'm living the island life myself, it's role is less symbolic and more friendly: it's the way home.
The Coho, according to it’s website, was built in 1959 in Seattle and is 341 feet long and 72 feet wide. It's a dependable ship and it has never canceled a scheduled sailing for weather related reasons. The Coho has space for 1,000 passengers but only 110 cars, a relatively small number that can leave a person cursing, especially in summer when the car hold is full and you have to wait hours for the next trip. Or, uh, so I hear.
The Coho is, indeed, a slow boat. It takes about an hour and a half to make the 20-mile crossing between Port Angeles and Victoria. Additional time, for customs and immigration - not to mention for ensuring a spot on board - is also required for just getting on or off the ship on either side of the crossing. There's something to be said for slow travel, though, and the Coho sails through some beautiful waters. In summer, the best place to ride is the rear sundeck or, really, anywhere outside. In the gray winter, I usually can be found in the forward viewing lounge, sitting next to a heater, trying to read a book but more likely watching out the window. Orcas, seals, and sea lions are common sights in the cold waves outside.
Inside, the furniture, fixtures, and colors - which all look like they were original with the ship back in 1959 - give a slight retro feeling. However, there is a strength in the constant engine vibration and a sense of permanence in the metal walls that indicate that the Coho will be sailing for a long time.
