GuemesTime Message Board
A place for islanders to trade news, lost & found, and announcements — picking up where LineTime left off.
Message Board
For sale, wanted, for rent, giveaways, lost & found, local services, and general announcements.
Looking for recent property sales? Skagit County records →
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Ferry
A local once knocked on the window of a car that cut the ferry line. Back with the group waiting to board, he said: "it's okay — they're waiting for the ferry to Orcas."
The M/V Guemes crosses the channel in about five minutes. Skagit County runs the boat.
Live ferry cams & schedule
Holding-lane camera feeds, next sailing, and the current schedule.
guemesislandferry.com →Skagit County ferry info
Official schedule, fares, electronic ticketing, and haul-out / service alerts.
skagitcounty.net →Tides
NOAA predictions for Anacortes / Guemes Channel (Station 9448794). Height in feet above MLLW.
Air Quality (PurpleAir)
Real-time smoke and air quality readings from sensors near Guemes Island.
View live AQI map →Nature & Trails
Guemes has trails, preserves, and a lot of quiet corners worth wandering.
Guemes Mountain
A 1.2-mile trail to the island's highest point — San Juans, Mount Baker, and the Cascades from the top.
Skagit Land Trust →Peach Preserve
64 acres near the ferry landing — forest, wetland, and 2,000+ feet of shoreline, easy walking trails.
San Juan Preservation Trust →Kelly's Point
27 acres of undeveloped shoreline and the cliffs of Yellow Bluff, on the island's southwest corner.
Skagit Land Trust →Dog Woods
A 120-acre forest preserve with 3 miles of dog-friendly trails, named for the island's Samish woolly-dog history.
dogwoods.info →iNaturalist — Guemes Island
See what islanders and visitors have logged nearby — plants, birds, fungi, everything in between.
View observations map →Calendar
A dedicated calendar view is coming as this grows. For now, events live on the message board under the Events filter — tai chi, GIFC meetings, chamber music, community center gatherings, all welcome.
Post an event
Sign in, post it as an Event, and it shows up for everyone browsing the board.
Go to the board →GICCA Island Happenings
The community center's full events calendar — meetings, music, classes, and more.
myguemes.org →Island Organizations
The groups that keep Guemes running — community space, emergencies, faith, planning, and neighbor-to-neighbor support.
GICCA
Guemes Island Community Center Association — manages the Community Hall, Schoolhouse Park, and the island events calendar.
myguemes.org →Island Directory
GICCA maintains the island's resident directory — sign up or update your listing there.
Directory sign-up →Spirit of Guemes
Guemes Island Community Church — worship, Soup-to-Go, and the island's emergency preparedness (GET) program.
spiritofguemes.org →Guemes Connects
Neighbors helping neighbors — short-term meals, rides, small home help, and a medical equipment lending closet.
Learn more →Guemes Island Ferry Committee
Elected islanders representing the community on ferry issues with Skagit County.
GIFC →Planning Advisory Committee
GIPAC — advisory planning under the Growth Management Act for Guemes Island.
guemesplanning.org →Guemes Island Historical Society
Photos, records, and stories of the island's past.
guemesislandhistoricalsociety.org →What to Know
A few things worth knowing before they matter — island life basics that aren't always obvious until you need them.
The ferry can stop entirely
The vehicle ferry is hauled out every 24 months at a minimum for U.S. Coast Guard–mandated maintenance — usually scheduled for about six weeks, but 2025's stretched to 11 due to repair delays. Weather and mechanical issues can also cause unscheduled outages any time. A passenger-only boat runs during haul-outs.
Medical or vet emergency, can't wait?
If you have a medical or veterinary emergency that doesn't require calling 911, you can drive to the head of the ferry line with your hazard blinkers on.
Emergency medical response
Guemes Island Fire Department is all-volunteer with an unmanned station — GIFD provides first response (BLS), Anacortes Fire provides advanced care and Medic transport, and Airlift Northwest or Life Flight Network fly critical cases by helicopter. An annual air-transport membership can prevent a large out-of-pocket bill.
guemesfire.org →Refineries nearby
Two refineries sit on March Point near Anacortes. For any local incident, weather, or emergency alerts, sign up for the county's alert system.
Skagit Ready Alerts →Crabbing & clamming licenses
A WA Shellfish/Seaweed license is required to harvest crab, clams, oysters, and more. Puget Sound Dungeness crab also needs a separate endorsement and catch record card.
WDFW licensing →Being on your own
Washington now recommends being self-sufficient for at least two weeks after a major disaster — and as a ferry-dependent island, Guemes' own emergency team plans for as long as six. GET (Guemes Emergency Team) coordinates island-specific readiness.
GET / emergency prep →Water is precious here
Guemes sits on a sole-source aquifer — every drop starts as rain. No lawn-watering or car-washing with well water in summer is the island norm; conserve where you can.
History
Guemes Island sits within the traditional territory of the Samish Indian Nation, whose village sxwalímet once stood near where the ferry terminal is today.
From 2003 on, LineTime.org carried the island's news, message board, and directory — named for the ferry-line conversations it grew out of. This site continues that spirit: informal and useful. See Island Organizations for the Historical Society and other island groups.
In memory
With thanks to LineTime and the islanders who kept it running for so many years.