Twin Power: Sheltons keep our ferries running smoothly

 By Brian Vail

Twin brothers Sam and Pete Shelton have worked together since Pete joined WSF in 2020.

Washington State Ferries are famous for having two identical ends, so they never need to turn around. But on the Walla Walla and the Chimacum, it’s not just the boats that have mirror images—it’s the crew. Meet Pete and Sam Shelton, identical twins and engine room employees who keep things running on board.

Pete, the older twin by a few minutes, works as an oiler on the Chimacum and joined our ferry system in 2020. Sam works as an assistant engineer on the Walla Walla and has been with us for over 10 years. Even though they work on different boats, they’ve followed similar paths and still share a lot in common.

The brothers grew up near the water on Key Peninsula, close to Gig Harbor. Early on they learned to navigate from their dad and uncle. As children, they were already cruising around in a small 10-foot Livingston boat. The twins sometimes ran out of gas and had to find a nearby house to call home for a ride—long before kids had cell phones.

“It shocks me because I’m thinking, ‘I’d never let my kid do this,’” said Sam. “We were eight years old, going out in that little boat with just life jackets and oars.”

As teens, Pete and Sam worked at a boat shop near Tacoma and earned valuable sea time on the boat Modoc, experience that helped them later get hired at our ferry system.

Both twins attended two years of trade school for precision machining and manufacturing. Sam went on to work for Hornblower and Pierce County while Pete was hired at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in 2012.

Sam was the first to join us in 2014. He debated on working on the deck or in the engine room. Frank Longmate, a captain and one of many mentors that Sam has met, pointed him down a path that altered his career.

“I was leaning towards deck and Frank took a piece of paper and wrote down ‘QMED (Qualified Member of the Engine Department) oiler’ with all the steps it took to get a job in the engine room,” said Sam. “Frank was a really good mentor to me. He showed me the ropes.”

Sam noted the importance of listening and learning from those around us.

“I find people who are willing to share advice are almost more valuable than any class you could take,” he said. “Finding those people that are just a wealth of knowledge that can point you in the right direction.”

Sam worked his way up to assistant engineer over the years and now trains every new engine room employee, which included Pete. Sam is in now in line to be promoted to Chief Engineer.

“I’ve been in the training department since 2018 and I really enjoy sharing the knowledge (that I’ve picked up through the years),” said Sam.

Pete took a slightly different route. In 2017, he became a journeyman machinist and was named Apprentice of the Year, an award given to only one student out of over 200 in each graduating class. He stood out for his problem-solving skills, mentoring others and multiple achievement awards from the Navy. Ultimately Peter worked there for over eight years and was promoted to work leader and then supervisor by 25 years old.

It was Sam who convinced Pete to switch jobs early in 2020. Pete had been focused on his career and wanted to have more time to focus on his passions outside of work. Sam pitched Pete on our more favorable schedule. “You couldn’t pay me enough to keep going on the schedule I had before,” Pete said.

Our engine room crews work seven 12-hour shifts in a row, then get a full week off. They rotate between day and night shifts. The work-life balance is a key selling point in comparison with other maritime positions.

When COVID-19 caused many testing centers to shut down, Pete had to fly to Ketchikan, Alaska to take his oiler’s endorsement test to get hired here. He passed, applied to be an oiler and joined the team, all in one week.

The brothers share a lot in common, including their hobbies. “We always tend to copy each other,” Sam said. “One of us gets a new car, the other one does too. Our hobbies and interests are very similar.”

Pete and Sam Shelton at a training exercise together.

Pete enjoys using his 3D printer and CNC plasma cutter to make custom parts in his free time. On the Chimacum, he even created a model of the vessel’s reduction gear to help train new employees and visitors.

Looking ahead, the twins hope to work together on one of our future hybrid-electric ferries. They dream of helping build the engine room from the ground up. Sam would serve as chief engineer-the face of the engine room-while Pete would be the assistant engineer, working behind the scenes. With both on board, passengers and crew might need to do a double take to figure out how one person seems to be everywhere at once.

“I love this organization,” said Sam. “Nowhere is perfect, but the schedule, the work and the people I get to work with—it’s a great fit.”