KINGSTON — The 144-vehicle Hyak will temporarily replace the 188-vehicle Walla Walla on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry route Dec. 12-16.

The vessel assignment will reduce vehicle capacity by 44 on half of all sailings, according to an alert from Washington State Ferries. Drivers should expect longer wait times.

The vessel assignment will be done to maintain a full schedule while the 202-vehicle Puyallup is out of service for its annual safety inspection. The Puyallup serves the Seattle-Bainbridge route.

Temporary vessel re-assignments are not expected to affect walk-on passengers, Washington State Ferries reported.

Edmonds/Kingston
On Dec. 15 and 16, the heaviest vehicle traffic is expected during the morning and evening commute. Customers should arrive early and plan for up to a one- or two-boat wait, WSF reported.

Drivers may experience a one-boat wait between 6:25 a.m. and 10 a.m. out of Kingston.

Drivers may experience a one-boat wait between 3:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. out of Edmonds.

In mid-December, vehicle traffic on this route is slightly heavier Friday through Sunday.

Customers can avoid lineups at the terminal by taking the Seattle/Bainbridge Island route.

Seattle/Bainbridge Island
This route will be served by the 202-vehicle Wenatchee and 188-vehicle Walla Walla.

Customers will experience a slight downsizing in vehicle capacity of 14 fewer vehicles on half of scheduled sailings.

Customers should expect to see more vehicle traffic than usual as Edmonds/Kingston drivers divert to Seattle/Bainbridge.

Seattle/Bremerton
There will be no no change. The route will be served by the 144-car Kaleetan and 124-car Kitsap.

“We realize this scheduled U.S. Coast Guard annual inspection is an inconvenience to our customers,” WSF spokesman Broch Bender wrote in a service bulletin. “However, the inspection allows us to ensure we meet all safety requirements and to identify areas in need of repair, with the hope that we can prevent future trip cancellations due to unexpected mechanical malfunctions.”