Clinton residents living near the ferry dock were jolted awake last week to the sound of a malfunctioning boat horn.

Neighbors reported hearing a series of short blasts, similar to a car alarm that is not an uncommon sound during summertime sailings aboard the state ferries.

“I thought that thing was never going to end,” Gwendine Norton, who lives near the water, said. She, like many others, was awakened by the faulty horn around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 25.

Justin Fujioka, a spokesperson for Washington State Ferries, said the Tokitae experienced an equipment failure.

“During routine testing of the electric generator, a timer was inadvertently tripped on the ship’s fog horns, which began sounding continuously for about 5-10 minutes,” he said.

The Tokitae continued to have issues this week, with an alert issued Monday afternoon about the vessel’s “whistle” not working properly. Fujioka explained that a horn and a whistle are considered the same thing on the ferries.

The boat was taken out of service for about an hour while repairs were made. With such foggy weather that day, the horn becomes essential to navigating.