It can turn the mundane into the miraculous. It can turn a humdrum journey into an epic crossing — a must-share sailing story with fellow ferry folk or those waiting on the other side.

It happens to many regular riders, with one element always the same.

You pull up to the toll booth, pay and pull into an empty lot as the ferry’s propellers start to churn the sea into a white froth. There, at the end of the dock, a Washington State Ferries worker raises an arm with a “We’re waiting for you” wave.

You pull onto the ferry as the crossing beam descends to the dock behind you, and a ferry worker stretches the safety cable behind your car, the last to board the boat, as the envious eyes of others pulling into the lot watch as your ferry pulls away.

The era of good feelings may soon come to an end, however.

Washington State Ferries is considering changes to the way ferries are loaded and unloaded, and the modifications may mean drivers could face a set “cut-off” time for getting aboard a departing vessel.

Say goodbye to squeezing aboard at the last minute.

The recommendation is one of three dozen for improving the state’s ferry system made by a panel of experts from across the country. The suggestions were made at the close of a six-month examination of Washington State Ferries ordered last March by Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Gregoire asked the Passenger Vessel Association — a nationwide organization made up of passenger vessel operators — to scrutinize the operations of Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States and a system that moves 22.4 million travelers each year.

The association examined everything from finances to ferry scheduling and management, and recently released a report that detailed 36 recommendations for improving WSF.

Beyond suggestions that cover ferry-loading operations, the expert panel also suggested changes to the way vessels are staffed, how they are maintained, how they are paid for and how the ferry system itself is managed, which the reviewers said suffers from “excessive oversight.”

State officials said they would work to make most of the changes suggested by the independent group, which included representatives from Staten Island Ferry, Golden Gate Ferry, Clipper Navigation, Cape May-Lewes Ferry and Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket Steamship Authority.

David Moseley, assistant secretary for Washington State Ferries, said some of the suggested changes would mean major changes to the way WSF does business.

“I thought it was a very solid piece of work,” Moseley said of the review.

“I benefited for having my peers who actually operate a ferry system come in and look at what we do, and review all the reports that have been done by consultants,” he said.

Moseley said state ferry officials are not in complete agreement with the panel’s suggestions.

Though WSF agrees with most of the recommendations made, others — such as changing hours of service to match demand or setting variable fares — will require more study. And WSF is opposed to other changes it says may not fit well with the current ferry system, such as changes to in-house maintenance for vessels and terminals, or the 24-hour staffing for engine room crews.

Moseley said he was encouraged by the report’s recommendation that the governance of WSF be examined, which the expert panel said was “outside the norm” and suffers from “multiple bosses.” The ferry system, a division of the state Department of Transportation, has its policies and budget set by the state Legislature, and fares are set by the Washington State Transportation Commission.

The governor has asked the Passenger Vessel Association to study other models for managing the ferry system, with a report due later this month.

Moseley also said the recommendation that ferry captains should become management’s representatives for their ships and crews was “very, very important.”

Currently, captains are union members and aren’t part of the management team. The suggested change, however, would make vessel masters more responsible for managing the crews, keeping the sailings on schedule and working on other goals, such as customer service and the cleanliness of their ferries.

Moseley also highlighted the panel’s recommendation that the ferry system find a dedicated capital funding source that would pay for new vessels.

The ferry system’s long-range plan, released last year, noted that $4.9 billion would be needed to keep ships in service and pay for new ones through the year 2030.

The plan said seven ferries would need to be retired and replaced during the next two decades.

WSF is facing a $3.1 billion budget gap over the next 20 years, however.

Moseley said more input from the public will be needed on some of the suggestions for reforming the ferry system.

Still, the state is keen on the idea of establishing a cut-off time for ferry loading. Moseley pointed to the experience of the Staten Island Ferry, which closes its terminal doors a few minutes before ferries depart, and also uses a “countdown timer” to warn travelers.

Keeping ferries for a shorter time at the terminal could save money, because ferries use more fuel to make up time lost at the dock spent waiting for late arrivals. It can also lead to greater overtime costs as crew shifts are extended.

WSF is considering a “universal cut-off time” for loading ferries, and plans to work on a draft schedule that includes the idea.

“We think it would improve our on-time performance and minimize our dwell time, but we also think it might impact our customers,” Moseley said.

“We do understand that’s something we’d want to have conversations with our customers about,” he added.

WSF has scheduled a series of community meetings to talk about the action plan that has been created to respond to the recommendations in the Passenger Vessel Association report and other ferry issues.

The meeting on Whidbey Island will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13 at Langley Middle School.

The panel’s report, and the WSF action plan, can be reviewed online at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/accountability.

Suggested changes at WSF

The Passenger Vessel Association report made 36 recommendations on reforms for WSF. They include:

• WSF should continue its policy of operating vessels for 60 years.

• WSF should plan around a fleet of 22 vessels.

• The state should bid the construction of its vessels nationwide.

• WSF should continue to emphasize vessel construction, not terminal construction, as a priority.

• The Legislature should establish a vessel replacement fund.

• WSF should have authority to set fares.

• WSF should continue to evaluate the demand for extended hours of service.

• WSF should continue to implement a reservation system for appropriate routes.