Skagit County, Washington

March 21, 2017

Guemes Ferry delayed in return to service until April 7, 2017

Unanticipated repairs will delay the Guemes Ferry from returning to service until Friday, April 7, 2017. The M/V Guemes was originally scheduled to return to service Wednesday, March 29, 2017.

During maintenance, crews found that the engine foundations of the M/V Guemes were in worse condition than originally expected; as a result, crews discovered cracks to the z-drive mounting brackets located below deck. Additional steel work is necessary to repair the engine foundations and z-drive mounting brackets.

“The M/V Guemes has two z-drives,” said Rachel Rowe, Ferry Operations Division Manager. “They’re propulsion and steering units that can rotate 360 degrees, and eliminate the need for a rudder to steer the vessel.”
                                                                   
Rowe said there was no way to anticipate the condition of the engine foundations or z-drive mounting brackets until the vessel was in dry dock. Repairs can only be made when the vessel is out of the water.

The passenger-only vessel Strait Arrow will remain in service, as will Skagit Transit on Guemes Island, until work on the M/V Guemes is complete.

Find more information about the Guemes Ferry online at www.skagitcounty.net/ferry. For questions or more details, please contact Rachel Rowe, Ferry Operations Division Manager, at 360-416-1466, or rrowe@co.skagit.wa.us.