Crews evaluate damage at Seattle's Colman Dock following rough ferry landing
SEATTLE - The Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry route is down to one boat after a vessel had a rough landing at Colman Dock.
A wind advisory is in effect for western Skagit County for April 4 until 8 p.m. Winds in Anacortes were 35 to 45 miles per hour, and the city also saw rain, sunshine and even some hail on the same day.
The choppy winds blowing through Anacortes made it a choppy ride on the water for Washington State Ferries passengers.
"It was pretty rocky, but I kind of got used to it," said ferry passenger Darlene Webb.
According to Washington State Ferries, the MV Kaleetan sailed back to Seattle around 7:30 a.m. Monday when it bumped into a wingwall—a structure at the dock used to position ferries for loading and unloading. The boat was moving a little too quickly and splintered the wood on the wingwall, which WSF says is exactly the kind of damage it is designed to take.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and damage was kept mainly to the wingwall.
The wavy waters were from the winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour. The weather was a little too brisk for some people like Yahmai Griffin, who was in town visiting from California.
"I feel like I don’t have enough clothes. I feel like I need another jacket or sweater underneath," said Griffin.
A spokesman for WSF said they would prefer the dock break before the ferry boat, as it is easier to replace wood than steel. Officials say it is not known when caused the hard landing, or if weather was a factor.
Even at low speeds, ferries can cause major damage due to their incredible size; the Kaleetan itself has a displacement of more than 3,500 tons.
In the meantime, the Bainbridge and Bremerton routes will be operated out of Colman Dock's other ferry slip until further notice. A single boat will service each route. Crews are evaluating the damaged slip to see what repairs are needed.
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