PORT TOWNSEND— The 10-month-old MV Chetzemoka will be out of service for three days this week while a component that failed Aug. 9 is repaired.
The boat will not operate Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to be back on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route this Friday morning, Washington State Ferries announced Friday.
The repairs are taking place during the week so as to not disrupt weekend service, which is the ferry’s busiest time, said Marta Coursey, state ferries system spokeswoman.
The ferry system did not have a spare part for a keel cooler that circulates water through the generators, and it had to be ordered and shipped from a company in Wisconsin, she said.
The boat has been operating on only one of its two keel coolers for the past three weeks, Coursey said.
State ferries officials wanted to get the keel repaired as soon as possible, Coursey said.
On Tuesday, the Chetzemoka will travel to Anacortes on its own steam and then be towed to Dakota Creek Industries, where repairs will be done.
The Chetzemoka began service in November, and a second ferry, the MV Salish, was added to the route in June.
Both are 64-vehicle ferries and belong to the Kwa-di Tabil Class boats contracted by the state at a cost of $213.2 million for three boats, to be built by Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle.
Coursey said she did not know how much the ferry system would need to pay for the repair or whether it would be covered under warranty.
When the two ferries are in operation, the Chetzemoka operates as the “No. 1” vessel, beginning daily at 6:30 a.m. from Port Townsend, with the last sailing at 9:15 p.m. from Coupeville.
The Salish, the “No. 2” vessel, begins at 10:30 a.m. from Port Townsend and ends at 6:45 p.m. from Coupeville.
During the repair period, the Salish will operate on a 15-hour schedule, with sailings at 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. from Port Townsend.
Sailings from Coupeville will take place at 7:15 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:15 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
The Chetzemoka is expected to take over as the No. 1 vessel Friday and operate in tandem with the Salish until Oct. 10, when the Salish will be taken off the route and used as a substitute for other ferries in the system in need of repair or maintenance.
State ferries system officials suggest travelers make reservations to assure space on the Salish.
Reservations can be made at https://business.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/reservations.
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.
