In short, using a ferry to get where you want to go is one of the safest ways to travel.
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You can't stay in your car for safety reasons. In case of an emergency, like a fire or a collision, you need to be able to evacuate the ship quickly. Most of the time, you need to join rafts located above the car deck.
Each year somewhere between 800 and 1000 people die in ferry disasters according to Roberta Weisbrod, the executive director of the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association. In the developed world, ferries carrying passengers are relatively safe as we have higher safety standards than the developing world.
If a vehicle is broken down onboard, the responsibility ultimately is with the owner of the vehicle. The ferry crew is under no obligation to re-start vehicles that have broken down.
Park Your Car on the FerryYou don't want to run the risk that a large wave will make your car roll into other vehicles. Lock all of your doors before leaving the vehicle. Do not, however, turn on your car's alarm system.
You can drive your car right onto the boat, or board as a foot passenger and simply walk on. The ferries run year-round and there are several sailings each day to and from each of the four main islands - Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Shaw.
You could get a bit of a sensation if you stare when the boat is pulling away, or the skyline diminishes in the background, or if you look down into the water over the edge... but if you simply sit inside the ferry somewhere you will barely feel movement at all.
About the disadvantages of ferriesThere are no perfect swimming facilities, and ferries also have their weaknesses. The main disadvantage of ferries, travelers often call the monotony of the landscape. During the entire journey from the deck, you can only observe the endless expanse of water.
Find a seat in the middle of the ferry; the lower you are, the better. So stay low (not the upper deck) and sit in the middle. But.. Window seats tend to be better (a tip that might collide with the seat in the middle of the ferry) if you keep your eyes on the horizon.
Once you find your parking spot on the ferry, put your car in park and engage the emergency brake. You don't want to run the risk that a large wave will make your car roll into other vehicles. Lock all of your doors before leaving the vehicle. Do not, however, turn on your car's alarm system.
On Oct.20, 1976, the worst ferry disaster in the history of the United States occurred on the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish. Seventy-seven lives were lost.
The Staten Island Ferry's three newest boats were built with room for 30 cars each, designed before 9/11. The fleet's oldest boat, the John F. Kennedy, can carry about 40 cars.
Once on board the ferry you will disembark the coach and take the stairs to the passenger areas. You will not be allowed back down onto the vehicle deck during the crossing so make sure you have everything you need for the crossing with you. There is a large duty free shop and a self service restaurant on board.