You’re standing at the terminal in Anacortes, looking out at the Salish Sea, and you’re wondering where the boat to Sidney is. It’s a classic Pacific Northwest scene. But if you’re looking for the sidney bc anacortes ferry, I’ve got some news that might be a little hard to swallow. Honestly, that direct connection—the one that used to let you roll your car onto a Washington State Ferry and roll off in Canada—is currently a ghost.
It’s been gone for a while now. And it isn't coming back tomorrow.
The 2030 Problem
The official word from Washington State Ferries (WSF) is pretty blunt: service is suspended until at least 2030. Yeah, you read 그 right. We are looking at a decade-long hiatus. It started in 2020, which we all know was a mess for travel, but while other routes eventually clawed their way back to normalcy, the Sidney run stayed dark.
Why? It basically comes down to a math problem that WSF can’t solve yet. They are short on boats. They are short on people. When you have a limited fleet, you prioritize the routes that serve as literal lifelines for island residents who need to get to groceries and doctors. The international run to Sidney, while beautiful and beloved, is considered "discretionary."
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In 2023, the Washington State Legislature even told WSF to go look for a secondhand ferry—foreign or domestic—to get the route moving again. They checked. They looked at the market. They came back and basically said, "There's nothing out there that fits our docks and meets the safety specs."
How You Actually Get There Now
If you’re determined to get from Anacortes to Sidney, you’ve gotta get creative. You can't just drive straight across anymore. It’s sort of a "choose your own adventure" situation now, and none of them are as simple as the old way.
The Port Angeles Shuffle
The Black Ball Ferry Line runs the M.V. Coho from Port Angeles to Victoria. This is your best bet if you have a car. You drive down to Port Angeles, take the 90-minute crossing to Victoria’s Inner Harbour, and then drive about 30 minutes north to Sidney. It’s a stunning ride, but it adds hours to your trip.
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The Tsawwassen Loop
This is the "big boat" option. You drive north from Anacortes, cross the border at Peace Arch or Pacific Highway, and head to the BC Ferries terminal at Tsawwassen. From there, you catch a ferry to Swartz Bay. Swartz Bay is literally right next door to Sidney. You’re practically there when you roll off the ramp.
The Victoria Clipper
If you're a walk-on passenger and don't mind starting in Seattle, the Clipper is fast. It drops you in downtown Victoria. From there, you can grab a BC Transit bus (the #70 or #72) or a quick Uber up to Sidney. Just keep in mind the Clipper is passenger-only. No cars, no motorcycles.
Why This Matters for Sidney
Sidney is a "Booktown." It’s one of the few places where you can spend a whole afternoon wandering through independent bookstores. Losing that direct ferry from Anacortes was a massive blow to the local economy. Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith has been pretty vocal about the disappointment. The town was actually supposed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ferry service in 2022. Instead, the terminal sits mostly empty, a weirdly quiet reminder of a century-old connection that's currently severed.
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- Fact Check: The first ferry on this route back in 1922 was actually a converted kelp carrier.
- The Status: The Sidney terminal lease is a major topic of discussion between the town and WSF because, well, what do you do with a terminal that has no boats?
The Reality of the Fleet
WSF is currently in the middle of a massive "Long Range Plan" to build new hybrid-electric vessels. They need 26 boats to run the whole system reliably. Right now, they are struggling to keep enough old boats running just to hit their basic domestic schedules. The vessels they do have, like the Tillikum or the Yakima, are getting old. Maintaining them is like trying to keep a 1970s truck running as a daily driver—eventually, something's going to break.
Until those new boats are in the water and the crew shortages are fixed, the international route is on the back burner. It sucks, especially if you have memories of that slow, scenic crawl through the San Juan Islands on your way to Canada.
What You Should Do Today
If you were planning a trip, don't wait for a miracle. The sidney bc anacortes ferry isn't appearing on the 2026 or 2027 schedules.
- Check the Coho: If you're driving, book a reservation on the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles. It fills up fast in the summer.
- Use the Peace Arch: If you're coming from the south, just drive across the border. The BC Ferries run from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay is frequent and handles way more volume than the Anacortes boat ever did.
- Explore Sidney Anyway: Don't skip the town just because the boat is gone. The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea and the waterfront walkway are still there, and the bookstores are as good as ever.
The connection between these two sister cities—Anacortes and Sidney—is still strong, even if the bridge of steel and steam is currently missing. You just have to take the long way around for now.
Next Steps:
Go ahead and book your BC Ferries reservation from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay if you're traveling during a long weekend; it’s the most reliable way to get within five minutes of Sidney without the direct Anacortes boat.