ABOARD THE M/V HYAK, Wash. — Washington State Ferries is the largest such system in the United States, but it is small, too. Amid all the comings and goings, the getting theres and leaving heres, there is the middle part — people making their way.

In summer, that means decks filled with light and tourists, hands shielding the sun in salute to the bright beauty of the Salish Sea. In winter, clouds and cold and quiet local customs prevail. Inside is where to be. These fine first days of September are a transition time, which may explain the current problem with the puzzles.

“The Yakima doesn’t have any puzzles right now, and the Elwha didn’t have any puzzles the other day,” said Lilliana Villalobos-Wolford, a resident of the San Juan Islands, here north of Puget Sound, and a regular passenger on those and other ferry boats. “Only the Hyak seems to have puzzles right now.”