Elwha out of service because of propulsion snafu

[Waterbuffalo]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/374205_tl109.html

Smaller ferry will sub while Elwha is out of service

The 90-car ferry Sealth will remain on the Anacortes-San Juan Island route through the end of next week while the 144-car Elwha is out of service for repairs, according to Washington State Ferries.

The Elwha was taken out of service Wednesday because of a problem with its propulsion control cooling system.

Repair crews will work overtime this weekend to fix the Elwha and return it to service. Because the Sealth is smaller, riders are encouraged to arrive early at docks and expect more overloads. Updated schedule and service information is online at wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/service.

[Chief]

Stuff wears out on these boats at a precipitous rate, especially when they see as much service as they do. It seems cheap to extend the maintenance on them at the moment, but in the long run that policy will sneak up and bite you on the ass, like it did this time. Eventually, something fails that puts the vessel dead in the water, or renders it unsafe to operate without massive (and expensive) repairs.

The rolling train wreck of the Washington Ferry System continues.

[Waterbuffalo]

Especially how many sailings these boats do 24/7 without rest in a maintenance facility. Boats cover so much Puget Sounf, Georgia Straight (did they not rename that?) and Vancouver Island trips.

If we counted how much travel these boats do, it would probably astonish people..

Wondering if wsf has any figures on yearly miles or some other nautical measure to tell us how many miles these boats move.. One has to remember these boats just do not do cars or single people, they also move non-hazardous cargo as well I believe.

Like you said Chief.. And I have been saying also, these boats are about to wear out permanently and eventually the whole bill will come due, if there is no start on building and phasing new boats in starting probably in the next ten years or so.

And this will have a huge effect on how much money possibly could go to all of the Washington State highway and state road projects.