Ferry Tacoma is repaired, will return to Bainbridge route in April after sea trials

Published 4:03 pm Wednesday, March 4, 2015

The MV Tacoma will begin three weeks of sea trials this week before the Jumbo Mark II Class ferry goes back into service on the Bainbridge route in April, Washington State Ferries announced Wednesday.

The Tacoma has been out of service since last summer after it went dead in the water during an afternoon sailing to Bainbridge Island. The surprise shutdown left more than 400 passengers stranded aboard the vessel as tug boats worked to bring it safely to shore on Bainbridge.

Ferry officials later said a design flaw was to blame for the loss of the vessel on July 29; two blown fuses prevented a protective circuit-breaker device from working, and the meltdown of electrical switchboard components on the ferry left the boat without power.

Washington State Ferries said Wednesday that crews at the Eagle Harbor shipyard have completed repairs to the electrical system and are now testing those repairs.

Tugboats towed the vessel from Eagle Harbor to Colman Dock in Seattle on Wednesday morning, March 4, where it will start dock trials.

Starting Thursday, March 5, WSF said people may see the Tacoma in Elliott Bay or at Colman Dock as crews conduct three weeks of sea trials to thoroughly test the ferry’s new circuit breaker.

“During the past seven months, we inspected and rebuilt the damaged propulsion switchboard system,” said Tim Browning, acting director of vessel maintenance and preservation.

“Now it’s time to test the system and make sure it is working properly while the vessel is underway,” Browning said.

Once the testing is complete, the Tacoma will undergo its annual Coast Guard safety inspection before returning to service on the Bainbridge Island-Seattle route in April.

“It was a huge effort to get her sailing again,” said Lynne Griffith, chief of WSF. “It’s exciting to see the Tacoma back on Puget Sound and I applaud all the engineers, maintenance workers and WSF crew that have worked on this enormous project.”