PORT TOWNSEND — Ferry service between Port Townsend and Coupeville was suspended for seven hours Wednesday after a ferry grounded in what is described as one of the hardest harbors in the state to navigate.
The harbor for the Coupeville terminal on Whidbey Island “is one of the most challenging in the ferry system,” said Ian Sterling, Washington State Ferries spokesman, after the MV Kennewick resumed service in the afternoon.
“The tides and the currents make it even more difficult.”
The Kennewick bumped the bottom of the bay in what Sterling called “a soft grounding” as it pulled into the dock during its first sailing of the day.
While the ferry was not stuck in the sand and mud that compose the bottom of the water, it could not be moved before an inspection, Sterling said.
Unlike most ferry terminals, the Coupeville dock has only one slip, which meant the route’s second boat, the MV Salish, could not operate until the inspection was complete.
Service resumed with the 2 p.m. sailings between Port Townsend and Coupeville.
Sterling said he expected an investigation into the cause of the grounding to “wrap up shortly.”
“We don’t know if this was human error, but in that harbor, there is no room for error,” he said.
There was no damage to the vessel, and it was able to connect to the dock to unload cars and passengers, but a Coast Guard inspection was still required before service could resume.
Fifteen sailings, eight from Port Townsend and seven from Coupeville, were canceled.
Those arriving at the Port Townsend terminal during the shutdown were advised to use the Kingston-Edmonds or Bainbridge Island-Seattle ferries while Coupeville travelers were routed to the Clinton-Mukilteo line.
At about 1:30 p.m., ferry crews began allowing cars into the holding area for the 2 p.m. sailing, which proceeded well under capacity.
Reservation holders were not charged a penalty due to the cancellations and were promised priority when the service resumed.
No additional reservations were accepted for the Wednesday sailings.
The 279-foot Kennewick was built and launched in 2011. It partners on the two-ferry run with the Salish, a sister Kwa-di Tabil-class state ferry.
A third ferry in that class, the MV Chetzemoka, operates on the Port Defiance-Tahlequah route.
The Coupeville dock provides one of the most challenging landings in the ferry system, according to Sterling, and cannot be accomplished by all ferries in the fleet.
The Kwa-di Tabil class was designed to function in that harbor, which requires variable speeds to dock.
Sterling said he did not know if any modification would be made to the harbor such as dredging, but “we are always looking for ways to improve our service,” he added.
Sterling, who is in his second month as ferry spokesman after working as a reporter for KOMO-TV, is a 1988 graduate of Port Townsend High School, during which time he was known as Ian Rowe before he adopted his professional name.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
