PORT TOWNSEND — Two-boat service will resume today on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route when the 64-car MV Chetzemoka returns for the noon sailing from Port Townsend, the state ferries system said Thursday.
The vessel was pulled from service Tuesday so that shipyard craftsmen could install a new keel cooler.
The repair was completed with no problems, but the cause of the failure has yet to be determined, along with whether the repair is covered under warranty, said Joy Goldenberg, Washington State Ferries spokeswoman.
The Chetzemoka went into service in November.
The boat has been operating on only one of its two keel coolers since one failed Aug. 9.
A keel cooler is a component attached to the vessel’s hull that cools fresh water from the diesel engines so cooling systems stay within designed temperatures.
The Chetzemoka was removed from service that day for the day, and a temporary repair approved by the Coast Guard was made so it could return to service Aug. 10.
It was towed Tuesday to Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes for a dry-dock repair to install a replacement keel cooler that was manufactured and shipped from Wisconsin.
Marta Coursey, state ferries system spokeswoman, has said she did not know how much the repair would cost.
The repairs were made Wednesday, and the Chetzemoka was back in the water late Thursday afternoon after the keel cooler system was tested, the state ferries system said.
The Chetzemoka was expected to travel from Anacortes to Port Townsend under its own power and arrive Thursday evening.
“We met our goal to get the Chetzemoka back into service for the busy weekend,” said Assistant Secretary David Moseley in a statement.
The result of an investigation into the cause of the leak is expected in about two weeks.
The MV Salish, which began in June to ply the route with the Chetzemoka, was the sole vessel on the route for four days, one for the initial repair and three this week for the final repair.
The two ferries will operate in tandem until Oct. 10, when the winter schedule will begin and decrease to one-boat service.
At that time, the Salish will be used on other routes throughout the state ferries system, substituting for boats in need of renovation or repair.
Both the Chetzemoka and the Salish belong to the Kwa-di Tabil Class boats contracted by the state at a cost of $213.2 million for three boats built by Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.
Click here for the ferry schedule: http://tinyurl.com/pdnferrypt. Ferry reservations can be made at http://tinyurl.com/3swqkvn.
For more information, phone 888-808-7977 or 5-1-1 from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. daily.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
