State ferry Puyallup out of service with bent propeller after suspected log strike

State ferry service was cut on the Kingston-Edmonds run over the weekend with the ferry Puyallup tied up because of a bent propeller. It's suspected that the vessel struck a log on Friday, Jan. 13.

"Nothing good happens on Friday the 13th," said Dana Warr, a spokesman for Washington State Ferries, noting that the collision most likely occurred at night.

"With the recent king tides and as many logs are in the water right now, that's the most likely chance that occurred," he added. "Until we can get the tools we need to address the prop, it's out of service."

Warr said Washington State Ferries maintenance workers need a special tool from a contractor to work underwater and avoid a drydock period. At this point, he said, it's expected that the vessel will be out of service for at least seven to 10 days.

Backups and delays were reported over the weekend, and the route remains on one-boat service. With adequate staffing, WSF had been working toward full restoration of the route to two-boat service, Warr said.

"We've said it in the past, but our bench strength is not what it used to be," he said. "There are 21 vessels in the fleet, and we need every single one of them."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Service cut on Kingston-Edmonds ferry run after suspected log strike