Ferry captain oversleeps on boat, riders delayed

November 21, 2012 @ 8:58 pm

CLINTON, Wash. (AP) - The tale of the Washington state ferry captain who overslept on a ferry has left Whidbey Island commuters frowning at the delays that caused.

Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey (cohr-SAY) says the unidentified captain who was scheduled to pilot an early Wednesday sailing of the ferry Kittitas from Clinton, Wash., to Mukilteo slept overnight on the ferry Cathlamet. Both ferries on the run tie up overnight at Clinton.

She says typically the captain would have gotten up and boarded the Kittitas for his run but for reasons still under investigation, he apparently overslept. The Cathlamet set out for Mukilteo with him still aboard. When the problem was discovered, the Cathlamet's captain announced the ferry had to return to Clinton because of "a personnel issue."

Coursey says the early morning runs of both ferries were delayed about 20 minutes.

She says the incident appears unrelated to recent ferry staffing issues that have resulted in canceled sailings. Ferry system port captains are investigating Wednesday's glitch.

Ferry rider Pam Sipe of Clinton fired off an email to ferries chief David Moseley, who apologized for the disruption.


(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
More Local News
Top Stories

  • Seeking Answers
    Investigators, engineers, and lawmakers scramble to fix I-5 after bridge collapses

  • Survivors' Stories
    It was "like a roller coaster where you're not attached to the tracks"

  • Bridge Distress
    Washington has an unfortunate history of bridge disasters
MyNorthwest.com - Purpose of Comments statement
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.

Comments (4)


  • Add A Comment

  • hpygolkyone wrote...
    Hmmmmmmmm?............
    November 21, 2012 9:41 pm
    Glug, glug, glug, glug??

    Errrrrrrrrp!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    That, or
    November 22, 2012 4:26 am
    He was bangin some ugly chick in the wheelhouse!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Hectic wrote...
    Whatever
    November 22, 2012 8:07 am
    Like no one else has ever overslept. A 20 minute delay? This is not even newsworthy.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ted Bundi wrote...
    Never a day in my work history.
    November 23, 2012 1:37 am
    Have I been late to work... not!!! Crap happens sometimes.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }