PORT TOWNSEND –Ferry service between Port Townsend and Keystone resumed late Wednesday morning when the MV Illahee cruised in from the San Juan Islands to fill in for an out-of-commission MV Klickitat.
In need of electrical repairs to one of its two engines, the Klickitat at noon Wednesday was pushed by a tugboat from its tie-up slip at Port Townsend to Washington State Ferries’ Eagle Harbor maintenance facility, near the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal.
“They thought that it might take a couple of weeks to get it fixed,” said Susan Harris, Washington State Ferries spokeswoman.
After seven ferry trip cancellations Tuesday and Wednesday, two of which were because of low tides, the Illahee resumed runs to Keystone at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday.
24 hours of downtime
The launch came about 24 hours after the Klickitat was sidelined at the Port Townsend terminal.
The engine problem was discovered while the vessel was en route from Whidbey Island’s Keystone terminal to the Port Townsend dock, Harris said.
Reported to be the oldest working ferry in the world, the Illahee, which normally runs San Juan Islands routes, is scheduled to take passengers until the Klickitat returns.