Island commuters stranded as ferry parts arrive from Canada

Residents of Anderson Island remain cut off from the mainland as Pierce County Ferries continues work on the Steilacoom II. The vessel, which serves the route between Steilacoom, Ketron, and the island, has been out of service since Saturday. This outage is lasting longer than initial expectations suggested.

County officials announced on Tuesday morning that necessary parts were en route from Canada. They projected a delivery for the afternoon. By 1:00 p.m., crews had installed the components and began sea trials to test the repairs. Despite the installation, no specific timeline for restoring service was available as of Tuesday morning.

The mechanical failure stemmed from the ferry's propulsion system, specifically its signal boards. Pierce County stated that both backup boards on the vessel failed. This dual failure created an immediate need for repair that could not be resolved with on-board inventory.

Repair work is delayed because the specific signal boards were difficult to locate. The components were unavailable from vendors in the United States. County staff contacted a Canadian supplier to secure the proper parts. This international sourcing process contributed to the length of the outage.

The Christine Anderson, the other vessel on this route, is currently in dry dock. This prevents it from serving as a backup for the Steilacoom II. Washington State Ferries typically do not provide coverage for this line because the two systems operate separately. The last time a state ferry took over this route was in 2008 under rare circumstances involving the Rhododendron vessel.

Representative Mari Leavitt criticized the county's handling of the situation in a Facebook post. She described the lack of communication as a failure in good government. Leavitt noted that residents were left without updates on the status of the repairs. She emphasized that the ferry acts as a lifeline for islanders meeting mainland commitments.

Local officials and residents have raised concerns about logistics for the upcoming election. Washington's Secretary of State recommended mailing ballots more than a week before Election Day. Voters on the island have asked how ballots will be collected if the ferry remains out of service.

Pierce County acknowledged the hardship caused by the disruption. The county stated it is working urgently to restore service. Sea trials are underway to verify the repairs hold under operational conditions.

The next step involves completing the testing of the propulsion system. Officials will monitor the performance of the newly installed signal boards. Service will resume once the vessel passes these safety checks.