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Crews battle leak at historic MV Skansonia ferry venue on Seattle's Lake Union

By
FOX 13 Seattle
Seattle
Published June 22, 2026 9:08 AM PDT
Published June 22, 2026 9:08 AM PDT

The Brief

    • Seattle firefighters responded to a sinking vessel call on the historic MV Skansonia ferry on Lake Union Monday morning.
    • Crews are using multiple pumps to clear water from the ship, but water continues to enter as they search for the source of the active leak.
    • Emergency responders expect to remain on the scene for several hours to combat the flooding at the popular waterfront event venue.

SEATTLE - Firefighters responded to a sinking vessel call at the MV Skansonia — a popular Seattle ferry boat wedding venue — on Lake Union Monday morning.

Firefighters responded to a sinking vessel call at the MV Skansonia — a popular Seattle ferry boat wedding venue — on Lake Union Monday morning. According to the Seattle Fire Department crews at the scene, multiple pumps are currently being used to clear water from the historic vessel. However, water continues to enter the ship as crews pump it out, and emergency responders have not yet located the source of the leak. The MV Skansonia, a 1929 ferry constructed by the Skansie Brothers, served for decades carrying passengers and vehicles between Vashon Island and Point Defiance. It is permanently docked on Lake Union, where it operates as a waterfront event venue with a capacity of 175 guests for seated receptions and 200 for standing receptions. This is a developing story. Firefighters are expected to remain on the scene for hours as they combat the active leak.

What we know:

According to the Seattle Fire Department, just after 6:45 a.m., multiple 911 calls from civilian operators reported that the MV Skansonia was taking on water and starting to list at the 200 block of Northeast Northlake Way. Listing means that the vessel was starting to tilt over to one side.

"We already had civilian crews here that were doing regular maintenance and pumping water out from the vessel, but they needed additional help from our fire department," said Seattle Fire Department Public Information Officer David Cuerpo. "For comparison, the vicilian crews were able to pump out approximately 130 gallons of water a minute. Our crews, with our additional capabilities including the fire boat, are able to pump out more than 1,000 gallons per minute – so about 10 times more waterflow to get out of that vessel."

Firefighters responded to a sinking vessel call at the MV Skansonia — a popular Seattle ferry boat wedding venue — on Lake Union Monday morning. According to the Seattle Fire Department crews at the scene, multiple pumps are currently being used to clear water from the historic vessel. However, water continues to enter the ship as crews pump it out, and emergency responders have not yet located the source of the leak.

Firefighters are putting safety precautions in place to prevent the vessel from capsizing and potentially damaging the nearby dock it's boarded up to. 

Emergency responders have not yet located the source of the leak or identified what caused it. Crews are expected to be on scene through Monday evening as they work to stabilize the vessel.

The backstory:

The historic vessel, built in 1929 by the Skansie Brothers, originally operated as a ferry transporting commuters and vehicles between Vashon Island and Point Defiance. Today, the retired ship is permanently moored on Lake Union, operating as a waterfront venue.

"The vessel itself is a decommissioned, retired ferry vessel," said Cuerpo. "It's approximately 165 feet in length, about 8,400 square feet in size and is often used today as event space for weddings and other types of private parties."

Firefighters responded to a sinking vessel call at the MV Skansonia — a popular Seattle ferry boat wedding venue — on Lake Union Monday morning. According to the Seattle Fire Department crews at the scene, multiple pumps are currently being used to clear water from the historic vessel. However, water continues to enter the ship as crews pump it out, and emergency responders have not yet located the source of the leak.

What's next:

This is a developing story. Firefighters are expected to remain on the scene for hours as they combat the active leak.

The Source: Information in this story comes from the Seattle Fire Department, original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle and from Landmark Even Co.

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