The “hard landing” at a Seattle-area ferry dock this week wasn’t the first time the Cathlamet crashed.
The state ferry Cathlamet struck the Mukilteo dock at high speed in June 2007. A story in the South Whidbey Record reported that the ferry hit a “wingwall” at over seven knots and caused $139,000 in damages. The captain was fired for being “grossly negligent,” an investigator said at the time.
The Cathlamet was built in 1981 and rebuilt in 1993, according to State Ferries.
On Thursday, the Cathlamet and the Fauntleroy dock sustained substantial damage in a hard landing of the vessel. No one was seriously injured.
Ian Sterling, public information officer for State Ferries, said the incident should not have any direct impact to service on the busy Clinton-to-Mukilteo route. The Department of Transportation reported that it’s unknown if the incident will affect service across the system in the long run.
State Ferries is working with the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the cause of the hard landing.
Early Friday, State Ferries initially reported that the Fauntleroy terminal re-opened and the vessel Kitsap joined the route, restoring two-vessel service. But later it was reported that the replacement vessel experienced technical difficulties and would be out of service until further notice.
Friday morning, State Ferries sent out an alert that drivers on the Mukilteo side were experiencing two-hour waits.
Photo by David Welton The ferry Cathlamet was repaired in dry dock in 2007 after it struck a dock on the Clinton-to-Mukilteo run.
