# Clipper Navigation > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Clipper_Navigation > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Clipper_Navigation.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_Navigation > Source revision: 1356443672 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Ferry operator in Washington, United States and British Columbia, Canada}} {{Primary sources|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox company | name = FRS Clipper Navigation Inc. | logo = File:Logo FRS.svg | image = | image_caption = | type = [Private](/source/Privately_held_company) | genre = | founded = 1986 | founder = | hq_location_city = [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle%2C_Washington) | hq_location_country = | num_locations = | area_served = | key_people = | industry = | products = | services = | market cap = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = [FRS Group](/source/F%C3%B6rde_Reederei_Seetouristik) | divisions = | subsidiaries = | website = [http://www.clippervacations.com clippervacations.com] | intl = }} '''Clipper Navigation, Inc.''', is an American ferry operator and subsidiary of [Förde Reederei Seetouristik](/source/F%C3%B6rde_Reederei_Seetouristik) based in [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle%2C_Washington). They provide multiple [transportation](/source/transportation) and [vacation](/source/Tourism) packages—many of which are offered under the name Clipper Vacations—including hotel and tour packages in Seattle and in [Victoria, British Columbia](/source/Victoria%2C_British_Columbia), and [Vancouver, British Columbia](/source/Vancouver%2C_British_Columbia). The company operates the Victoria Clipper, a high-speed passenger-only ferry service between [downtown Seattle](/source/downtown_Seattle) and the [Inner Harbour](/source/Victoria_Harbour_(British_Columbia)) in [downtown Victoria](/source/downtown_Victoria). [List of HSC ferry routes#Americas](/source/List_of_HSC_ferry_routes) List of High Speed Ferry Routes, Americas == History == Clipper Navigation, Inc., was founded in 1986{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Andrew A. |date=2025-05-13 |title=Clipper to cut in half number of summer sailings between Victoria and Seattle |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/clipper-to-cut-in-half-number-of-summer-sailings-between-victoria-and-seattle-10651027 |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=Times Colonist |language=en}} with the original MV'' Victoria Clipper I'' on the Seattle/Victoria route. The MV '' Clipper II'' was actually two different boats that ran to the [San Juan Islands](/source/San_Juan_Islands). Then the MV ''Victoria Clipper III'' (now MV ''San Juan Clipper'') was purchased. The service between Seattle and Friday Harbor, Washington provides [orca](/source/orca) and [gray](/source/Gray_whale) [whale watching](/source/whale_watching) out of that port and has been in operation since 1991 daily from mid-May through September. As Clipper Navigation grew, it launched Clipper Vacations.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} In 2009, Clipper Navigation partnered with the state of Washington and allowed the installation of oceanographic sensors on the passenger ferry Victoria Clipper IV to gather data about the [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound).{{Cite web |title=Ferries for Science: Technology hitches a ride to better understand Puget Sound |url=https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/june-2014/ferries-for-science-technology-hitches-a-ride-to-b |access-date=2025-10-29 |website=ecology.wa.gov |language=en}} German navigation company Förde Reederei Seetouristik (FRS) acquired Clipper Vacations in 2016.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2016/09/23/clipper-navigation-ceo-kostas-mallios-charts-new.html |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=www.bizjournals.com}} FRS announced plans to expand the company's service to include routes between Victoria and Vancouver, and between [Florida](/source/Florida) and [Cuba](/source/Cuba).{{cite news |url= http://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/seattle-clipper-sold-to-german-company-new-routes-planned/ |newspaper=[Seattle Times](/source/Seattle_Times) |title= Seattle-based Clipper sold to German company; new routes planned |first=Janet I. |last=Tu |date= January 19, 2016 }} ==Fleet== thumb|right| MV ''San Juan Clipper'' known then as MV ''Victoria Clipper III''. thumb|right|MV ''Victoria Clipper V''. The Clipper fleet currently consists of two high speed [catamaran](/source/catamaran)s, the MV ''Victoria Clipper V'' and the MV ''San Juan Clipper'' that serve Seattle, Victoria, and Friday Harbor. FRS Clipper Navigation will introduce a new whale watching vessel to replace the MV ''San Juan Clipper''. The new vessel is currently under construction and will be delivered in May 2026, the new vessel is designed by One2ThreeNaval Architects in [Sydney, Australia](/source/Sydney%2C_Australia), and being built by Mavrik Manrine Inc, in [La Conner, Washington](/source/La_Conner%2C_Washington).{{Cite web |last=Huan |first=Eric|date=2025-09-10 |title=New whale watching boat ordered for the Pacific Northwest |url=https://www.workboat.com/new-whale-watching-boat-ordered-for-the-pacific-northwest-1744847117526 |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=WorkBoat |language=en-US}} The Clipper fleet is one of the fastest passenger vessels in the western hemisphere.{{cite web |url=https://www.frs.world/frs-fleet/ |title=FRS Fleet |publisher=FRS GmbH & Co. KG |access-date=2022-10-18}} Clipper Navigation was also responsible for operating the [MV ''Princess Marguerite III''](/source/SS_Princess_Marguerite), a car ferry between Seattle and Victoria. Its operation was in 1999 due to the extremely high costs associated with the six-hour trip between ports. Currently, there is no car service between [Seattle](/source/Seattle) and [Victoria](/source/Victoria%2C_British_Columbia). The primary choice for passengers with cars is the [MV ''Coho''](/source/MV_Coho) ferry out of [Port Angeles](/source/Port_Angeles%2C_Washington). The [Washington State Ferry](/source/Washington_State_Ferries) from [Anacortes, Washington](/source/Anacortes%2C_Washington) to [Sidney, British Columbia](/source/Sidney%2C_British_Columbia) to Victoria was discontinued. The WSF announced that they don't anticipate being able to return the Sidney run to service until 2030. Clipper Vacations can book passengers who wish to take the ''Coho'' in conjunction with a hotel stay.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} The Clipper also ran the MV ''Victoria Clipper I'', and the MV ''Victoria Clipper IV''. ==Operations== The Clipper has one daily round-trip ferry service that travels between Pier 69 in downtown Seattle and downtown Victoria, taking approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes.{{Cite web |last=Blenkey |first=Nick |date=2025-03-14 |title=Victoria Clipper now operating from new terminal in Victoria |url=https://www.marinelog.com/passenger/ferries/victoria-clipper-now-operating-from-new-terminal-in-victoria/ |access-date=2025-08-06 |website=Marine Log |language=en-US}} The MV ''Victoria Clipper'' carries 525 passengers.{{cite news |last=Geraldo |first=Renata |date=September 1, 2023 |title=Victoria Clipper strike averted, avoiding Labor Day interruptions |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/victoria-clipper-strike-averted-avoiding-labor-day-interruptions/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=September 4, 2023}} Clipper Vacations provides hotel and tour packages in [Victoria](/source/Victoria%2C_British_Columbia), [Seattle](/source/Seattle) and [Vancouver](/source/Vancouver). In 2025, CEO Mark Collins reported that ridership was decreasing due to tensions between Canada and the US, causing the company to decrease the number of roundtrip ferries per week.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-23 |title=Clipper ridership down amid U.S.-Canada tensions |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/tourism-seattle-victoria-ferry-route-tariff-tensions/281-3f75c157-8e24-4eb2-bf7d-6618b8c29436 |access-date=2025-10-29 |website=king5.com |language=en-US}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.clippervacations.com/ Official Home Page] {{DEFAULTSORT:Clipper Navigation}} Category:Ferries of Washington (state) Category:Ferries of British Columbia Category:Transport in Victoria, British Columbia Category:Water transport in Seattle Category:Privately held companies based in Washington (state) Category:Transportation companies of the United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clipper Navigation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_Navigation) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper_Navigation?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.