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Pierce County ferry faces breakdown (again) in early Saturday mechanical failure

Dean J. Koepfler/News Tribune file photo, 2016

This article has been updated with new information released Saturday afternoon by Pierce County Planning & Public Works.

A failed generator disrupted service Saturday for a Pierce County ferry working as the backup for another ferry, also currently out of service.

The ferry is the backup for Steilacoom II, also currently undergoing service, offering transport to Anderson and Ketron islands.

A tugboat was dispatched and a contractor was sent to assess the situation Saturday morning. The breakdown left the boat at Ketron Island for a time, based on earlier updates from the county.

In an update early Saturday afternoon, county representatives said contractors were replacing a part on the ferry’s generator, which was fixed by around 2:30 p.m. “We are working to load test and assemble the documentation to submit to the Coast Guard for approval,” a social media post from Pierce County Planning & Public Works stated.

Just before 4 p.m., the county reported that “Pierce County ferry service will resume with the 3:50 p.m. departure from Steilacoom. Service will follow the non-peak schedule. Passenger only service will complete one more round-trip run, leaving the Steilacoom dock at 4:15 p.m. and the Riviera Community Club at 4:45 p.m.”

The post added that “Passengers who left their vehicles in lane 3 will need to remove their automobiles by end of service today.”