BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — Starved of money for nearly a decade, the nation's largest ferry system has hit rough water.

The ferries that cruise Puget Sound and surrounding waters have become symbols of the Pacific Northwest, recalling its rich maritime history and figuring prominently in movies and television shows such as "Grey's Anatomy." But beneath their cheery green-and-white paint scheme, the aging ferries are rusty, old and unreliable.

Some boats have been yanked from service for repairs. Routes have been canceled and schedules thrown off. Washington state commuters are frustrated.

"We have a love-fear relationship with the ferries. It's our highway and there's always massive uncertainty," said Pete Gillis, 38, as he caught a ride to Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound, en route to Port Townsend, north of Seattle.

The system's problems date back to 1999, when voters repealed a vehicle-registration tax that provided much of the money to build, maintain and operate ferries. That caused fare increases, cuts in service and delays in maintaining and replacing boats.

"We had this aging, deteriorating fleet that was ignored and put on the back burner," said Democratic state Rep. Sherry Appleton, whose district west of the Seattle mainland includes three ferry runs.

State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond says relief is on the way in the form of 13 new boats to be built over the next 20 years.

"We've allowed the system to limp along, ignoring the long-term consequences," she said. "We were delaying the inevitable, and now we see the problem square in the face."

The Washington ferry system hauls 24 million passengers each year, about a quarter of all U.S. ferry passengers. Its 24 vessels range from a tiny boat that links Tacoma to Vashon Island, to a tourist-friendly international run that winds through the scenic San Juan Islands to Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

On upscale Bainbridge Island, thousands of commuters take the ferry to work in downtown Seattle, filling boats that can carry 2,500 passengers on each 30-minute crossing.

For many riders, it's a pleasant time for drinking coffee and reading the morning paper. Some catch up on work using wireless Internet access. Others just catch a few extra winks.

It's not cheap, even though the state subsidizes the system. A walk-on passenger pays $6.70 a day — $134 a month, minus commuter discounts. Driving a car onto the ferry costs $11.55 each direction, or $460 a month for 20 workdays.

But many commuters cheerfully swallow those prices, making up the difference on cheaper real estate across the water from pricey Seattle.

Riders interviewed on a recent rainy day appreciate the convenience of the ferries, but they have grown impatient with the service disruptions and with fares that have soared 70 percent over the past seven years.

"We love our ferries — and would love them more if our lives didn't depend on them so much," said Phil Herbert, 66, a retired farmer from Port Townsend. "It's taking longer and longer to get places."

Canceled runs and uncertain schedules also play havoc with truckers, especially those hauling perishable products, forcing them to use longer land routes or shift to more distant ferries.

The problems can hurt tourism and business, too. When auto ferry service was canceled to Port Townsend, business plummeted in the Victorian village, which serves as gateway to the vast Olympic Peninsula. Some islanders grouse about being unable to attend concerts or other events in Seattle because of poor nighttime ferry service.

Commuter ferries are often newer boats with comfy lounges and serving wine, sushi, microbrews and designer coffee. But riders on the less-frequent routes endure decades-old boats that are creaky, dingy and prone to breakdowns.

After the 1999 tax vote, lawmakers eventually came up with $350 million to build four new "superferries" that could carry 144 vehicles and 2,500 passengers.

But five years later, those vessels are still on the drawing board because of legal battles with shipbuilders and political squabbles over the size of the boats.

Meanwhile, the fleet gets older. Some boats date to the 1920s, and others are more than 40 years old.

Just before Thanksgiving, state officials pulled the four oldest vessels out of service, fearing they were no longer safe after inspectors found corrosion and cracks in the hulls.

The Legislature approved spending $100 million to build three replacements that can carry 50 to 80 cars. Design work is also under way on three more superferries.

The ferry agency also is being reorganized to repair the system's battered reputation.

The new ferry chief is David Moseley, 60, who spent most of his career as an administrator for Seattle and other cities. With no maritime background, Moseley was purposely chosen to reform the agency.

"The ferries are not just a Washington state icon. They're a lifeline for people," Moseley said.

But Gillis, the commuter riding from Bainbridge to Port Townsend, is among those who remain skeptical.

"People's faith has really taken a big blow in the last couple of years," he said. "I don't have a lot of faith that it will improve."