The MV Walla Walla was back in action on the Edmonds–Kingston run by Wednesday evening, just hours after a hard landing at the Edmonds terminal that threw the commute into chaos. The afternoon incident wiped out several late sailings, stacked up long lines of cars at both terminals and rattled nerves, but no injuries were reported. Crews moved quickly to check the ferry, then sent it back into service once it cleared inspections.
According to WSDOT, the #1 Walla Walla was set to resume the 5:30 p.m. Kingston-to-Edmonds trip after crews evaluated the vessel. The agency told riders to keep an eye on its real-time map for live boat locations and any schedule changes.
Coast Guard Clearance And Canceled Sailings
The U.S. Coast Guard signed off on the Walla Walla’s return at about 5:30 p.m., according to The Seattle Times. That report notes the 4 p.m. Edmonds-to-Kingston and 4:45 p.m. Kingston-to-Edmonds sailings were canceled, which left drivers waiting as long as two hours on both sides of the water.
Boat’s Recent Troubles
The Jumbo-class Walla Walla has not exactly had an easy winter. KIRO 7 reported that a propeller blade was discovered sheared off on New Year’s Day, which sent the vessel to dry dock for repairs. The same ferry also ran aground in April 2023 after losing propulsion. Investigators later tied that mishap to contaminated fuel that clogged generator filters, according to earlier coverage from KIRO 7. Built in 1972 and able to carry about 2,000 passengers and roughly 188 vehicles, the Walla Walla is one of the largest boats Washington State Ferries assigns to the Edmonds–Kingston route, per Wikipedia…