Tugboats bring the M/V Tacoma to dock after it lost power while traveling from Seattle to Bainbridge Island.
Source: Peninsula Daily News
FOR FERRY ALERTS: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedule/bulletin.aspx
EDMONDS —
The state ferry system continues to grapple with backups and commuters’ flaring tempers after one of its largest vessels lost power Tuesday in Puget Sound.
The breakdown of the jumbo ferry Tacoma caused major delays Tuesday on the Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry route, triggering huge backups that lasted for hours on end.
And now on Wednesday, it is causing big backups on the Edmonds-Kingston route, after one of the two vessels on that route was pulled off to replace the broken-down Tacoma on the Bainbridge Island run.
A number of commuters on the Edmonds-Kingston route left early Wednesday after hearing that the route would be down to a one-boat schedule. By 9:15 a.m., there was a 2½-hour wait for vehicles at the Kingston ferry terminal
The breakdown of the Tacoma could not have come at a worse time – because one of the state’s other jumbo ferries, the Wenatchee, is also out of service for maintenance work.
KOMO’s Air 4 was overhead Tuesday afternoon when the Tacoma was towed back into Bainbridge Island’s Eagle Harbor after losing power with hundreds of passengers and more than 100 vehicles aboard.
The breakdown created a huge backlog – with long lines of cars and passengers at the Colman Dock ferry terminal in Seattle. Combined with the sun and the heat, the mess created some tension as drivers honked their horns and passengers yelled.
“We’re vanpool. We got here on time. We kept up our end of the bargain. What is the deal?” said one driver headed for Bainbridge Island.
“That’s unbelievable. I just don’t understand it,” said George Dickinson, who was also headed for Bainbridge.
“It’s hard to concentrate because there’s a lot of yelling in the background,” said commuter Kathy Brown as she waited in a line of more than 1,000 people.
Now on Wednesday it is the Edmonds-Kingston route’s turn to suffer. The next sailings on that run is scheduled for 12:50 p.m. from Kingston.
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By The Associated Press
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — A state ferry lost power on the ferry system’s busiest route Tuesday, stranding hundreds of passengers on Puget Sound until the vessel could be towed to the dock.
The Tacoma was traveling from Seattle to Bainbridge Island with 405 passengers and 138 cars on board when it lost propulsion shortly before 1 p.m., Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey said.
The Tacoma dropped anchor in the water to await help and was eventually towed by tugboats to Bainbridge Island.
Another ferry that was on the Bremerton-to-Seattle run, the Sealth, had been rerouted to be on standby status next to the Tacoma.
The Tacoma docked at about 3 p.m.
Engineers at a repair dock will try to determine why it lost power, ferry officials said.
A passenger, Van Badzik, told The Associated Press that passengers first noticed lights flickering on and off for several minutes, then the vessel lost power and started drifting.
Badzik said the captain kept passengers informed and the crew acted professionally.
The passengers who were delayed would receive vouchers good for one trip on the ferry system.
Washington State Ferries operates the largest ferry fleet in the United States, carrying about 23 million passengers annually.
More than 6 million riders travel between Seattle and Bainbridge Island each year.
The Tacoma, one of the largest vessels in the fleet, is 460 feet long and can carry up to 2,500 passengers and 202 vehicles.
The ferries are part of Washington’s state highway system, linking Seattle and other populous cities to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas as well as the San Juan Islands.