Vehicle ferry service from Central Whidbey Island to the Olympic Peninsula will continue through the holidays until early 2009.

The Steilacoom II is scheduled to head into dry dock for a U.S. Coast Guard mandated inspection Jan. 4. The inspection and maintenance work is expected to take approximately three weeks, according to Washington State Ferries.

To Whidbey Island officials, having a vehicle ferry through New Year’s Day is a piece of good news.

“We were hoping to get ferry service through the holidays,” Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard said.

The Steilacoom II was required to go into drydock by the end of the year, however, the Coast Guard granted an extension to allow service to continue through the first weekend of the New Year.

Conard complimented the ferry system and Pierce County, which owns the Steilacoom II, on efforts to get the extension in place.

The ferry system is continuing to search for a passenger-only ferry to serve the route while the Steilacoom II is in drydock.

Ferry officials are still working out the details on what kind of passenger ferry service will be offered. An operator has to be selected and a schedule has to be finalized.

There will be some differences from the service that was offered last winter after the Steel Electric car ferries were pulled from service.

Ferry workers will install a barge at the Keystone ferry terminal that will allow for a more stable platform to load and unload passengers. Last winter, passengers would often board passenger ferries at the nearby boat launch operated by the state park. Many found it an uncomfortable experience.