Elwha remains out of service

The 144-car Elwha will remain out of service for at least another week for repairs.

The Elwha was taken out of service last Wednesday because of a problem with the propulsion control cooling system; it is currently at the state Transportation Department’s Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility undergoing repairs.

The 90-car Sealth, which had been on standby at Eagle Harbor, has been operating on the San Juan Islands route since Wednesday night.

“Our maintenance staff is working overtime this weekend to repair the Elwha and troubleshoot the problem so that we can get this ferry back in service as soon as possible,” said David Moseley, Assistant Secretary, Ferries Division. “We know that August is an awful time for this to happen in the San Juan Islands and we are working to minimize the impact as much as we can.”

Because the Sealth holds fewer cars than the Elwha, ferry riders are encouraged to arrive early and expect more overloads. The San Juan County Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 13 – Saturday, Aug. 16. During this time, ferry riders can expect heavier than normal traffic volumes traveling between Anacortes and Friday Harbor.