Ferry hits pilings in Keystone

KEYSTONE, Wash. – A Washington state ferry hit pilings Friday at the Keystone terminal on Whidbey Island, slightly damaging the vessel.

The ferry Quinault was arriving at Keystone from Port Townsend about 2:50 p.m. when it struck a “dolphin” – a group of pilings that helps guide ferries into the slip, Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris said.

Nobody was hurt, she said.

The terminal suffered no damage, and the ferry’s starboard or right side sustained what appeared to be only cosmetic damage, Harris said.

The cause of the collision won’t be known until officials check a number of factors, such as tide and water current conditions and the vessel’s speed, she said.

The ferry was to sail to the ferry system’s maintenance yard at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island to be assessed.

The Keystone-Port Townsend route is typically a challenge to maneuver, Harris said.

“It is the most difficult route we have, period,” she said. “We have extreme tidal conditions, and the harbor (at Keystone) is extremely narrow. At extreme low tide you can almost reach out and touch the beach.”

December and January also are months of extreme tides that force cancellations of some sailings on the route, she noted.

The ferry Klickitat was already in the area, prepared to relieve the Quinault, so the only service disruption was cancellation of a return trip from Keystone to Port Townsend, Harris said.