Guemes Ferry out of service Friday, April 12

April 12, 2019, 12:11 PM

Update – The vessel is still at Dakota Creek Shipyard, and the new engine in in place, but it will take some time to get everything re-connected and fluids replaced, etc. and we need to do sea trials before re-entering service.

At this point, I would estimate that we might possibly be back in service by 4:00 p.m. Passenger-only service will continue until the ferry returns. And, we will continue to keep you updated as things progress.

April 12, 2019, 7:12 AM

Update – Passenger service will start at approximately 8:00 a.m.

April 12, 2019, 5:06 AM

The Guemes Ferry is out of service this morning, Friday, April 12 until further notice. The vessel just returned from the shipyard, so what happened? Both main engines had a significant amount of work done while the vessel was in dry dock. And, after sea trials and the return to service, everything was running smoothly. But, for the past couple of weeks, our Mechanic has been troubleshooting a coolant leak on the No. 1 main engine. Last night, Cummins technicians worked all night to open up the engine and repair the leak. Unfortunately, they ran in to some issues, and at 4:00 a.m., they recommended removing and replacing that engine with the spare engine we have over in our Burlington shop. This will take several hours, and we do not know exactly when Guemes can go back in to service.

At this time, Mechanics are disconnecting the engine, and we are working to get everything onboard for the work. We’ve called Arrow Launch to request passenger-only service. We have temporary moorage at Dakota Creek Shipyard, but it will take some time to get the vessel ready to move, and it is likely that service will not start right at 6:30 a.m.

When we know more, we will post an update.

This is extremely frustrating after being out of service for the haul out, and we appreciate your patience while we work through this. We will get the ferry back in service as soon as humanly possible.

Captain Rachel Rowe

Ferry Operations Division Manager

Guemes Island Ferry

500 I Ave. Anacortes, WA 98221

^{Source: Email Skagit County April 12, 2019 5:06 AM}