WA’s hybrid ferry starts sea trials following extended shutdown from electrical issues

Washington’s new converted hybrid-electric ferry, the Wenatchee, has begun sea trials after it was out of service for the foreseeable future due to a mechanical error that caused the ferry to lose power, according to the Daily Journal of Commerce.

The ferry returned to service on July 24 after its conversion, but has been out of order at the Eagle Harbor maintenance facility near the Bainbridge Island ferry dock.

“Upgrading a 27-year-old ferry is no small feat. The Wenatchee now has a modern propulsion system, new ship controls and hybrid-electric power,” Washington State Department of Transportation wrote. “This was an engineering challenge few have attempted on a vessel of this size.”

WA’s hybrid-electric ferry is out of service

The problem with the ferry occurred at approximately 10 a.m. on Aug. 15, when the Wenatchee was near Seattle’s Coleman Dock. Two of the four drive motors unexpectedly went offline, causing the ferry to lose power momentarily. The motors were back online a few minutes later, and crews sailed the ferry into a nearby maintenance facility.

Engine crews, maintenance teams, and technicians at Eagle Harbor worked to determine the cause of the ferry’s issue, a Washington State Ferries (WSF) spokesperson, Dana Warr, wrote via email to The Seattle Times.

Ferry workers found the control system’s communication wires were unstable, causing the motors to shut down. A generator powered by a diesel engine drives the motors, which power the propellers of the ferry. Once electric charging stations are built at terminals, this will change.

Warr told The Seattle Times the issue had been difficult to find because it “may only happen at certain speeds or in certain operating conditions,” but also noted these issues are a “normal part of vessel commissioning.”

The Wenatchee being pulled from service has not affected the overall sailing schedules of the rest of the fleet, according to ferry officials. The hybrid-electric ferry had been running the Seattle and Bainbridge Island route before its malfunction.

The Walla Walla and the Tacoma ferries will continue to sail the Seattle and Bainbridge route in the meantime.

“When the review is complete, the issue is addressed, and we’re confident it can be returned to safe service, we will do so,” Warr told The Seattle Times. “Our teams are working hard to resolve the issue so we can perform sea trials, which when successful will allow the vessel to return to service.”

The 22-month-long conversion of the Wenatchee cost $133 million, making the ferry the largest hybrid-electric ferry in North America.

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