Good news at last for the Coupeville-Port Townsend ferry route, just in time for Independence Day.

Washington State Ferries has announced that a second boat will return to the route starting on the Fourth of July. Service will run every Friday through Monday until Oct. 13.

“We don’t currently have the crewing to restore that service seven days a week, so we’re going to focus on weekends,” Deputy Assistant Secretary John Vezina said during a State Ferries public meeting this week.

The additional vessel for the route’s shoulder season is part of the state agency’s plan to restore service to all domestic routes. The international route to Sydney, B.C. likely won’t be added back until 2030, when State Ferries expects to get new vessels.

In the meantime, State Ferries expects more than 300,000 riders this Memorial Day weekend.

To avoid the rush, the agency offers several holiday travel tips, like sailing early in the morning or late at night, when wait times are much shorter. There is plenty of walk-on capacity on all sailings with minimal to no wait. Holiday sailings are marked on the sailing schedules for each route.

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the busy season. As announced earlier this month, more sailings will return to three routes just in time for the peak travel surge.

In addition, holiday weekends often mean increased traffic and delays along state highways, waterways, airports and pedestrian trails. Travelers should be patient, expect delays and stay alert. Delays may also occur as crews respond to crashes or conduct emergency repairs.