The Coupeville ferry was closed for several hours Thursday after crews discovered issues with the equipment used to load vehicles.

Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey said around 10:30 a.m. crews discovered movement in the transfer span and apron at the terminal.

The transfer span is the part of the terminal that cars drive over to board the vessel.

“Crews immediately launched a rescue boat, which found several bolts connecting the apron hinge were sheared off or broken,” she said.

The terminal was shut down for several hours, resuming limited service at 1:15 p.m.Vehicle weight restrictions were limited to 32,000 pounds and loading and unloading will be limited to single-lane travel.

During the closure, ferries missed eight sailings between 10:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

“Overnight temporary repairs were made to the transfer span, restoring full, two-lane loading without weight restrictions,” Coursey said Friday.

The temporary repairs consisted of crews reinforcing the hinges with bolts.

A draft to make permanent repairs is currently in the works.

“The plan will be reviewed and implemented as soon as possible,” Coursey said. “In the meantime, Washington State Ferries is confident the temporary repairs will allow full access from Coupeville without weight or loading restrictions.”

Terminal staff have a system in place for checking the terminal every week. Coursey said they will ensure extra diligence in reviewing the checks and balances in place on the apron mechanism.