PORT TOWNSEND — A repair of the rudder of the MV Salish will delay the beginning of two-boat service between Port Townsend and Coupeville from May 6-26, according to Washington State Ferries.
One-boat service will continue until then on the MV Kennewick, which has plied the route this winter.
A routine inspection of the Salish found that one of the three rudder parts had shown severe wear and needed replacement, said Brian Mannion, state ferries spokesman.
Mannion called the item a “wear part” and likened it to something in a car engine that needs routine replacement.
The repair will be made at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes.
The target date for beginning two-boat service is the Thursday before Memorial Day.
To accommodate the added demand, state ferries has added two late sailings from Fridays through Mondays — at 10 p.m. from Port Townsend and 10:45 p.m. from Coupeville.
Standard two-boat service increases the daily sailings from 20 to 36 through the summer months.
The delay of two-boat service will not be reflected in the approximately 1 million printed schedules currently in circulation. The correct times will be reflected online and in the phone schedule, Mannion said.
The state Department of Transportation has published a free phone app on Apple and Android platforms that provides schedules, crossing times and a graphic that shows how many drive-up spaces are available at the terminal.
The app also displays vehicle locations and provides access to the cameras at each terminal, as well as connects directly to the reservation system, which is active on the Coupeville-Port Townsend route.
Mannion said reservation space is available on most sailings but that they will sell out quickly.
Anyone planning a crossing during the first few weeks in May should make early reservations, he said.
“During this time, you don’t want to go standby,” he said.
“If you really need to get somewhere fast, the best idea will be to drive around.”
For more information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
