PORT TOWNSEND –– The MV Chetzemoka has been cleared to sail this morning after it was pulled from the Port Townsend-Coupeville route on Sunday.
The ferry was sidelined by rudder problems. The problem was electronic and the boat was cleared to sail in the morning, said Ian Sterling, ferry system spokesman in an email sent at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Chetzemoka missed its 10:15 a.m. ailing and the rest its trips on Sunday. Those included the 2:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. sailings from Port Townsend, and the 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.sailings from Coupeville.
The Chetzemoka was put into service a couple hours earlier to replace the Kennewick, which also had rudder issues.
State ferry officials announced Wednesday the Kennewick will be off the route for repairs until mid-July.
The Chetzemoka had been checked before going into service for signs of premature wear, he said.
The Chetzemoka, which was servicing the Port Defiance-Tahlequah route, began operation in 2010, while the Salish and Kennewick started in 2011.
Two-boat service on the Port Townsend-Coupeville route went into effect May 27 this season. It was delayed from May 6 because of a problem found with the Salish.
A routine inspection found that one of the Salish’s three rudder parts was severely worn and had to be replaced.
On Wednesday, the Kennewick was taken out of service when a similar rudder problem was discovered.
All three are Kwa-di Tabil-class ferries, the only vessels that can navigate Keystone Harbor to the Coupeville terminal.
Sterling said the ferry system is talking to the manufacturer of the rudders to determine why the parts are wearing out earlier than expected.
“They are designed to wear, but are wearing out quicker than we thought they would,” he said.
The problem the Kennewick is facing isn’t difficult to repair, he said. What takes so long for the repair is getting access to dry dock space.
“The issue is dry dock space, which is highly competitive this time of year,” he said. “You have to wait your turn.”
Because of the service disruption, new reservations will remain temporarily unavailable until further notice, according to the ferry system. Current reservation holders will also continue to be prioritized on a first come, first-served basis for all departures until further notice.
If reservation holders were unable to travel Sunday due to the service disruptions, they will not be charged no-show fees for unused reservations.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
