A USCG (United States Coast Guard) inspector and a weld inspector are scheduled to be onsite at Dakota Creek shipyard Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. to perform testing and final inspections. If everything goes according to plan, paint can be applied Monday afternoon, and USCG can sign off on Guemes re-entering service on Tuesday, January 9, at 6:30 a.m.
Windy weather has caused some delays by the shipyard to perform in-water work, including welding the outdrive bracket. The ferry was disabled due to a loose engine foundation and cracked outdrive bracket.
The ferry system originally estimated a return to service on Monday; however, the weather has set back the schedule by a day. Another update will be sent Monday after the inspections, unless something changes before then.