To the editor:

Tuesday, March 16 started out as a typical day on Puget Sound with overcast skies, a few scattered rain showers and gentle morning winds as I rode the ferry from Clinton to Mukilteo.

However, on descending the hill to the Mukilteo ferry dock that afternoon, white caps forming ribbons across the water caught my eye and my pulse accelerated. The wind was ferocious with gusts exceeding 50 miles per hour. As I waited in the holding area I worried, would the ferry be able to dock successfully? To my amazement the ferry approached at a very unusual angle, nosed into the dock and used the engines to swing the boat into the correct alignment for the cars to unload. Just as great musicians and athletes make their performances look easy, the captain and crew made it look routine. Their years of training and experience have paid off for all of us who commute from Whidbey to the mainland.

My thanks go out to all the ferry workers for the safe and reliable service that they provide to the residents of this beautiful island.

John Shepard

Clinton