SEATTLE — Service has resumed on the Fauntleroy ferry route after the Cathlamet ferry had a "hard landing" at a West Seattle dock Thursday morning causing significant damage and disrupting crossings for several hours, according to Washington State Ferries (WSF).
However, service remained impacted for part Friday, as crews had to resolve an electrical issue on the second ferry that had been added to the run. The Kitsap ferry returned to service just after 12:30 p.m. on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route on Friday.
On Thursday around 8:15 a.m., the Cathlamet collided with an offshore dolphin, a terminal structure that helps guide docking ferries, at the Fauntleroy terminal in West Seattle.
The ferry’s crew was able to safely offload all of the passengers and work began assessing the extensive damage.
"Our crews are highly trained merchant mariners and we're proud of our terminal workers and the folks, that you know, got this boat in safely without anybody being seriously hurt," said Ian Sterling, WSF public information officer.
The United State Coast Guard cleared crews to move the ferry from the dock and determined the terminal could reopen Thursday afternoon for service after inspecting the damage to the dolphin.
The collision with the offshore dolphin, primarily made from a wood piling with steel and concrete, made a sizeable tear in the ferry’s front right side. In addition to the ferry itself, several vehicles on the ferry were also damaged, with one trapped in the wreckage.
The ferry was taken out of WSF's fleet and sent to its Eagle Harbor shipyard on Bainbridge Island for a likely months-long repair process.
The investigation into the cause of the collision is still in its preliminary stages. The United State Coast Guard is the lead agency in the investigation. WSF is also working with the National Transportation Safety Board and other federal partners.
"This was a significant event and the entire state Department of Transportation will put our weight behind the ferry system as we investigate this," said Deputy Secretary of Transportation Amy Scarton. "Our safety record is impeccable in the history of state ferries. We have not had a fatality on board one of our vessels due to collision and so we will take this seriously."
Per standard procedure, all crew members have been tested for drugs and alcohol and will be off duty for the time being.
The collision comes at a challenging time for WSF as it handles a staffing shortage.
"We've lost a vessel when there's a limited number of those. And that's a challenge and, of course, we have a limited number of crews," said Sterling.
WSF is running on alternate schedules "until further notice" this summer due to crew shortages that have worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In April, WSF officials acknowledged it is short-staffed and in need of dozens of new recruits.
Since schedules may change daily, WSF urged customers to check the online schedule page and monitor travel alert bulletins on the agency’s website for the latest route information.
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