Anderson Island Ferry Repair Delays Leave Residents Stranded
Parts arrived from Canada on Tuesday, but a return date for the Steilacoom II remains uncertain as election logistics complicate the disruption.
By Javier Sanders ·
Residents of Anderson Island and Ketron have been cut off from the mainland since Saturday morning, when service on the Steilacoom II ferry ceased unexpectedly. The interruption has left many commuters and islanders without their primary means of transportation for several days.
Pierce County officials announced on Tuesday that the specific repair parts, sourced from a Canadian vendor, were installed on the vessel around 1:00 p.m. Crews immediately began sea trials to test the mechanical repairs. Despite the installation, the county stated it did not yet have an estimated timeline for when regular service would resume.
The breakdown was caused by a failure in the ferry's propulsion system, specifically the signal boards. Both backup boards on the vessel also failed, creating an urgent need for immediate repair. Pierce County noted that the components were difficult to locate and were not available from U.S. suppliers, necessitating the import from Canada.
Local officials expressed concern over the communication gap during the outage. Representative Mari Leavitt posted on Facebook that the county's lack of updates represented a failure in good government. She emphasized that the ferry serves as a lifeline for residents needing to fulfill mainland commitments. The post also raised questions about how ballots would be collected from the island, noting that the Washington Secretary of State recommended mailing ballots more than a week before Election Day.
The absence of a backup vessel has intensified the disruption. The Christine Anderson, the other ferry on the route, is currently in dry dock for maintenance. Washington State Ferries is typically not an option for this route because the two systems operate independently. The last time a state ferry covered this route was in 2008 under unique circumstances, when the Steilacoom II was loaned for a different path while the primary boat underwent repairs.
Pierce County acknowledged the hardship the suspension has caused residents. The county is working to restore service as soon as the sea trials confirm the repairs are successful. No specific date has been provided for the ferry's return to the Steilacoom and Anderson Island route.
