MUKILTEO, Wash. — One of two ferries that runs between Mukilteo and Clinton was out of service for approximately six hours on Tuesday.
According to Washington State Ferries, the Kitsap boat was taken out of service due to a mechanical issue.
The loss of the Kitsap forced the system to run on a condensed service schedule, which caused an hours-long backup on Tuesday.
Washington state has 21 boats in its fleet, but right now, only 15 are in service. WSF officials say they need 26 boats to have services fully restored. According to a contingency plan released earlier this year, new ferries are not expected until 2028.
One passenger on board the ferry Tuesday afternoon said crews had to have all the cars turn around and get off one by one.
"To me, it's a big problem because it's part of the state highway system and people don't really see it that way, they see it as 'oh, it's a ferry boat,'" Jim Miller told KING 5.
The issue comes just as we enter the busy summer season, with Memorial Day weekend just around the corner. Officials expect to see more than 300,000 passengers for the holiday weekend.
"To be on that boat and be delayed an hour or more now that we are down another ferry is just impossible," Miller said. "I mean, if you shut down I-5 every day for an hour or two (laughs), it would be a big problem, right?"