Yellow Pages
The Black Ball Ferry Line transports approximately 400,000 passengers a year from Port Angeles to Victoria, B.C., on Vancouver Island.
Its vessel, the M/V Coho, has been in service for 49 years and has a carrying capacity of 1,000 passengers and 115 vehicles. Those numbers along with fare prices are comparable to those of the M/V Chelan ferry on the Anacortes to Sidney, B.C., run managed by Washington State Ferries.
Black Ball is a successful operation due to its starting point in Port Angeles that helps travelers bypass Seattle, its direct drop-off point in Victoria and the efficiency and reliability of the company itself, according to Black Ball President and CEO Ryan Burles.
Meanwhile, WSF and Gov. Christine Gregoire have proposed canceling the Anacortes run because it does not pay for itself and the state has to find answers to an $8 billion deficit in the 2009-2011 biennium budget.
Why the difference?
“I don’t think there’s a simple answer to that,” said Burles, who’s worked for the company since 1981 and who’s also a member of the Victoria and Port Angeles chambers of commerce.
“I’m not going to really comment on what they can do,” he said. “I mean there are so many things you could maybe talk about but I don’t think it’s fair.”
Burles does attribute part of Black Ball’s success to the north/south route that begins on the Olympic Peninsula. Travelers coming from California and Oregon break off from Interstate 5 in Olympia to head north on Highway 101, avoiding Seattle and more importantly Seattle traffic.
“You avoid going through Seattle, the border and that type of thing,” Burles said. “Our route is excellent.”
Another reason for the company’s success is its inner harbor terminal right in downtown Victoria.
“So obviously accessibility for foot passengers is great,” Burles said. “They can walk off and go into town to shop or go into a hotel so I think that’s one of the successes.”
The WSF ferry also doesn’t run as often as the Black Ball or the BC Ferries that sails from Tsawwassen, British Columbia, to Vancouver Island.
“Running only that one time in the morning, it does reduce your ability if you’re not near Anacortes,” Burles said. “You have to get up pretty early to get there.”
Burles also credits Black Ball’s success to the company itself and its crews.
“We’ve had a long tradition of taking care of our boat and we run a very efficient and reliable service,” he said. “Not to take away from Washington state or BC Ferries, but we have a very good group and we’ve done it justice.”
Burles said if WSF does shut down the run, he might gain some business but in the long run having choices is more important.
“That’s a beautiful run through those islands,” he said. “I think it’s important for both sides that hopefully that link can continue on.”
As for expanding Black Ball to take over the WSF route if it is closed, Burles said the company’s focus is maintaining its Port Angeles to Victoria run and making sure it stays profitable.
“I think it’s certainly something you could look at,” Burles said. “But I don’t know right now if this would be the time. In this type of climate, I wouldn’t suggest it would be the smartest thing to do.”
