The Seattle Times
The ferry Spokane, which sails between Edmonds and Kingston, returned to service Friday after problems with the boat’s generator docked the ferry for two days.
Service returned with the 6:10 a.m. sailing, according to Washington State Ferries.
The 188-vehicle Spokane was built in 1972 as part of the ferry system’s Jumbo class of boats. It was rebuilt in 2004.
The entire fleet of ferries is aging, with just nine of 21 considered to be in good shape. But a breakdown in negotiations with the state’s main ferry builder in 2022 means no new boats are currently under construction, despite the need and available budget.
The ferries are built to have redundant systems, but occasionally problems can cascade. Fuel contamination caused generators onboard the ferry Walla Walla to fail in quick succession, resulting in a loss of steering, which led to the boat running aground in April on Bainbridge Island.
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