11:56 AM: Just announced by King County Metro:

If you are planning to travel by water taxi to or from West Seattle on Friday, Dec. 4, please note that afternoon service will be canceled so that Seacrest Park can receive a brand-new, stronger float. The pier at Seacrest Park will also be closed when construction crews are onsite. Construction will begin after morning service on Friday and is scheduled to be completed early Sunday, Dec. 6. Service is expected to resume as normal Monday morning, Dec. 7.

The float being replaced, Float A, is one of three located at Seacrest Park. Float A is the northern-most float where the passenger ramp lands. This float is listing to one side, likely caused by water retention from failing pile guide mounting bolts. This listing is causing further issues with the passenger ramp connection, the ramp’s rollers on the float end, and the float’s connection to Float B.

Four kayak floats are also being removed in order to maintain the same footprint overwater once the larger, new float is installed.

Photo from kingcounty.gov: The passenger ramp lands on the float being replaced (Float A); extending to the right is Float B. The “fingers” extending from Float B are the four kayak floats being removed.

Float A takes the brunt of the weather and wave action which has led to several repairs to pile guides. A new design from the manufacturer now features integrated pile guides, which will minimize maintenance to the float and better endure the weather. The new float has a life expectancy of 25 years.

The existing float being removed is 320 square feet (10 feet by 32 feet) and the kayak floats being removed are 290 square feet. The new float being installed is 448 square feet (14 feet by 32 feet).

The Seacrest Float Replacement Project is a capital project planned for in the 2019/2020 biennial budget. The budget is $300,000, and the project is currently targeted to be underbudget by approximately $60,000.

Water Taxi service is expected to resume Monday morning; Metro will confirm on Sunday.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: As for the fishing pier, here’s what Seattle Parks tells us: “It will also be closed for safety reasons. This is because the new docks will swing up and over the Pier and gangway. It won’t close until 9:00 am Friday morning and hope to have it back open Saturday afternoon.”