Owner Ryan Anderson, a contractor who worked on the property himself, walks up the driveway at Ferry Cove on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Owner Ryan Anderson, a contractor who worked on the property himself, walks up the driveway at Ferry Cove on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

This Whidbey rental is like walking onto a state ferry

This 5-bedroom beachfront Airbnb has rooms patterned after “The Parent Trap,” “The African Queen” and the ferry Tokitae.

CLINTON — Spend the night with some ferry magic.

What’s up with that?

A 3-minute walk from the Clinton terminal, this 5-bedroom beachfront Airbnb has a room that’s a ferry rider’s dream.

Ferry Cove, a vacation rental since 2021, has a mix of a National Parks campsite, a ’50s kids’ summer camp and seaside inn vibes … until entering the basement.

The basement bunkbeds at Ferry Cove can be seen through a porthole on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

The basement bunkbeds at Ferry Cove can be seen through a porthole on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

It is like stepping onto the car deck of the vessel Tokitae.

“I wanted this to be the coolest place ever,” said owner Ryan Anderson, 50. “This was a dream-out-loud project.”

He took the ferry quarters theme to an insane level.

Anderson, who lives in Seattle with his wife Brooke and their four children, said he rode the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry about 120 times over the course of four months last year specifically to get details. The ferry room debuted in January.

“Everything is modeled exactly after the boat,” he said. “I spent hours and hours with a camera and notepad and documenting all the pieces.”

Same gray paint color, same “Engine Off” and “Set Brake” font and graphics as the ferry. Ditto for the yellow traffic lines where the cars park on the Olympic class vessel.

There’s even a green rope and a red Tokitae life ring.

Ryan Anderson makes an announcement over the functioning intercom at Ferry Cove on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Ryan Anderson makes an announcement over the functioning intercom at Ferry Cove on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

If that’s not enough, a loudspeaker chimes in with that familiar ferry message: “Your attention please. We are now arriving at our destination. Drivers and passengers return to your vehicles.”

It’s a recording of that woman’s voice you hear on sailings.

A handheld radio allows custom messages.

“Will the owner of a white Ford Explorer please come back and turn off your alarm off? You’re bugging the heck out of us,” Anderson joked, picking up the mouthpiece.

The home’s exterior is painted the green-and-white of our state’s fleet of workhorses. A deck with Adirondack chairs lets you watch the real ferries go by, crisscrossing between Clinton and Mukilteo.

Ferry Cove sleeps 14 total.

A basement bedroom at Ferry Cove is themed like an old-timey jungle cruise on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

A basement bedroom at Ferry Cove is themed like an old-timey jungle cruise on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

Sorry, campers. The place is booked for this summer, but there are openings in the fall. The 2025 daily rental rate is $850 through Sept. 15 and about half that for off-season. Many are repeat guests.

The retreat comes loaded. Kayaks and paddle boards. Every board game of your childhood dreams. The coffee bar and stylish kitchen of your middle-aged fantasy. The yard has a hammock, picnic table, tree swing and bonfire pit.

It’s a mom-and-pop operation.

“My wife does the cleaning. I do the fixes,” Anderson said.

The couple bought the property three years ago.

The house was originally built in Capitol Hill in Seattle and later barged out to Whidbey Island in the 1940s or 1950s, Anderson said.

“It was a money pit,” he said. “I’m a home builder, so I knew what I was getting into. We just blitzed it for three or four months.”

It was a departure for his construction company, RW Anderson Homes, which does new builds and custom remodels.

The bedrooms are themed. One is patterned after the classic movie “The Parent Trap.” The captain’s quarters mixes the “The African Queen” and the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. Two cozy rooms have king beds. Portraits of Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir hang in a bathroom. The ferry room was the last project in the renovations.

The attention to detail is in every nook and cranny.

“I obsess about it. It drives my family crazy. The kids say, ‘Oh, Dad is on a creative bender,’” Anderson said.

A wall in the ferry quarters has a 7-by-11-foot mural of a photo from the ferry landing at the Clinton dock.

It’s so realistic it’s tempting to walk straight into the wall.

A photo depicting the Clinton ferry landing is on a wall at the Ferry Cove rental property on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

A photo depicting the Clinton ferry landing is on a wall at the Ferry Cove rental property on May 29, 2024, in Clinton. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)

“I took probably 1,000 photos,” Anderson said.

He contacted the ferry agency for help with the signage.

“I was expecting to get a big ‘eye-roll,’” he said. “But they were extremely gracious and took an interest in our project.”

There are some things not seen on a ferry, such as the sign that says: “Attention — sleepy kids must report to bunk beds immediately.”

The bunks, trimmed with iron pipe ladders and railings, sleep six.

Anderson enlisted a Benjamin Moore worker to curate the grays, greens, yellows, reds and other colors on a state ferry.

“She came out on the ferry with me and had a digital readout and she matched all the paint colors,” he said. “Every color is a custom color based on the Washington State Ferry system.”

The setting and touches make for a smooth sailing.

One guest review noted, “We had an idyllic stay at Ferry Cove.”

Is there a person, place or thing making you wonder “What’s Up With That?” Contact reporter Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

George Beard walks into the Stanwood Library with coffee in hand on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Stanwood, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
As winter approaches, Stanwood man remains homeless

George Beard is living in his car because he’s too sick to work. So far, connections to resources haven’t been enough.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Monroe in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
‘Right-hand man’ in Snohomish County drug ring sentenced to 10 years

Humberto Garcia was convicted of drug trafficking in April. He’s the last member of the group to be sentenced.

Snow is visible along the top of Mount Pilchuck from bank of the Snohomish River near Rotary Park on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett initiative asks: Should the Snohomish River have legal rights?

Initiative 24-03 proposes legal standing to prevent environmental damage. Opponents say it’ll lead to unnecessary lawsuits.

The Grand Avenue Park Bridge is seen as the sun sets in 2022 in Everett. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Elevator at Grand Ave. bridge in Everett closed due to vandalism

The city hopes to reopen the elevator by December. Repairs could cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Riaz Khan finally wins office on his fifth try. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mukilteo police seek info on alleged attack on House candidate

Riaz Khan, a former City Council member, said he was fixing campaign signs Tuesday morning when two men attacked him.

Brandon Borg, 21, fills his gas tank in Everett on Oct. 24. Borg must drive long distances for work, and is worried about how the rise in gas prices will affect his ability to save money for his future. (Caroline Walker Evans for Cascade PBS)
Young WA voters say cost of living is their top concern

Everett and Seattle residents cited gas prices and rising rents as motivating factors for their votes this year.

The Snohomish County Jail is pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Report reveals cause of Everett man’s death in Snohomish County Jail

Terry Crusha was booked into the jail on May 17. He died three days later, part of a string of deaths there.

Snohomish County Elections employees Alice Salcido, left and Joseph Rzeckowski, right, pull full bins of ballots from the Snohomish County Campus ballot drop box on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Election Day is here. What you need to know in Snohomish County.

Local voters will decide on federal, state and local races, including a county tax measure and representation in Olympia.

Arlington
9K remain without power in Snohomish, Island counties

At one point Monday afternoon, over 20,000 had lost power. Winds were expected to subside.

Boeing workers file into Angel of the Winds Arena to vote on the latest contract proposal from the company on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Boeing Machinists approve contract, ending 52-day strike

After voting no twice, 59% of union members approved the latest contract.

Snohomish County Elections employees check signatures on ballots on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 in Everett , Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
5 things to watch in Washington heading into Election Day

Keep your eyes on statewide initiatives, the race for public lands commissioner and two contentious congressional races.

Snohomish County Elections employees Frank Monkman, left, and Tina Ruybal, right, place sorted ballots in a green container on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 in Everett , Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County’s guide to the 2024 election

Here is everything you need to know before Election Day.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.