PORT TOWNSEND — The ferry between Port Townsend and Keystone will stop running tonight and will be out at least through Friday while state ferries system crews rebuild one of the 50-car ferry Steilacoom II’s auxiliary generators.
Washington State Department of Transportation Ferries Division crews will tie up the Steilacoom II in Port Townsend after completing the 7:30 p.m. sailing from Keystone today, the agency said Tuesday.
All Thursday sailings are canceled.
Engineers expect the Steilacoom II to be ready to return to service Friday morning.
Extend cancellations
If crews discover the need for more extensive work after taking apart the auxiliary generator, the service cancellation could be extended, ferries officials said.
Officials said the work was being scheduled to take advantage of previously scheduled tidal cancellations on the Port Townsend-Keystone route this week.
The last round trip Wednesday was canceled because of tidal conditions.
Ferry riders are advised to use the Mukilteo-Clinton and Edmonds-Kingston routes for travel between the North Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island.
Last week, ferry service between Port Townsend and Keystone was canceled from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday because of a failure of one of the two auxiliary generators on the Steilacoom II.
The auxiliary generators are necessary to operate the vessel. They provide power for all of the vessel’s critical equipment.
After last week’s problem, crews performed preventative work and identified the need for a complete rebuild of the second auxiliary generator.
The work must be performed this week to ensure the continuing operation of the generator, state ferries system personnel said.
