Thanks for that and yes I wouldn't be risking that without a reservation - so what happens after check-in for the ferry? Do you just have to hang around in the car for an hour waiting for boarding to start?

Must admit I'm now having second thoughts - if we leave Downtown just before 9am we'll get the 10am sailing to Vancouver Island, probably hit Victoria about 12.15-12.30pm then have an hour to get lunch before getting onto the next ferry. Be in Port Angeles & through customs around 5pm.

Leaving Vancouver at the same time and with a 1hr wait at the border, we would be in Coupeville by midday.

Early afternoon ferry to Port Townsend would then have us in PA a good couple of hours earlier.

Ferry fares run at about $200 total, but we'd save about 150 miles of driving.