Lopez Island ferry dock damaged, but still in service
Dec 29, 2021, 1:59 PM
Crew members deal with snow on the Washington State Ferries. (Photo courtesy of wsferries/Twitter)
(Photo courtesy of wsferries/Twitter)
Part of the Lopez Island ferry dock is damaged after being rammed by a boat that made a hard landing.
Holiday ferry riders should prepare for long waits, check schedules
“We had a hard landing there just before Christmas with the Yakima. So Yakima came in, possibly weather-related, and hit that floater pretty good,” Ian Sterling with Washington State Ferries told KIRO Radio.
“That’s what they are there for, but it may have damaged it somewhat, and it is kind of listing a little bit. We’re keeping a close eye on it,” Sterling added. “We don’t believe there’s any danger of it actually sinking or anything like that, but there is some minor damage to it that we need to get in and repair.”
Engineers are taking another look at the dock Wednesday because the device has partially broken away from its moorings.
Hard landing by #Yakima due to weather is likely reason for a damaged floater at our #LopezIsland terminal (one of the floating structures that guides our ferries at the dock). We have a team headed that way to investigate & repair. No disruption to service at this time. pic.twitter.com/f26BF6FCTU
— Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) December 29, 2021
Sterling told KIRO Radio that it’s unlikely the repair will force the Lopez dock to shut down. A decision is expected later on Wednesday.
As winter weather conditions persist and Washington State Ferries continues to deal with a staffing shortage and existing crew challenges, nearly all routes will remain on one-boat service. The Anacortes/San Juan Islands and the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth routes are the only runs with two boats through at least Saturday, Jan. 1.
With WA state’s ferries in a ‘critical situation,’ solutions are months, years to come
Check terminal conditions and sailing schedules online here. Find the latest ferry alerts here.
