Ferry Kaleetan sidelined by engine damage, San Juan Islands service disrupted
Published 1:30 am Thursday, December 11, 2025
By Darrell Kirk
Sounder contributor
“Introducing MV KALEETAN. She’s called KALEETAN. That means ‘arrow.’ A very apt name. Because starting Sunday, January 7, this Lengthy Lady will dart across the Sound between Seattle and the Winslow Terminal in just 25 minutes.”
So read an advertisement in the January 6, 1967 issue of the Seattle Times, heralding the arrival of a vessel that would become a fixture in Washington’s ferry system for nearly six decades.
But today, the arrow has been grounded. The 58-year-old M/V Kaleetan suffered a catastrophic engine failure on Friday, December 5 that has forced Washington State Ferries to reduce service on multiple routes and implement emergency contingency plans.
According to a WSDOT Weekly Update from December 11, 2025, “Kaleetan suffered significant engine damage on Friday when one of the four valves in a cylinder failed during operation.” Emergency repairs at Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes are now estimated to take longer than initially anticipated. “We thoroughly investigated the damage, and we estimate it will take until late December to repair the 58-year-old Kaleetan and return it to service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route,” according to the update.
The timing of the failure created a cascading crisis for the San Juan Islands route. On Friday, one of the four ferries assigned to the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route was already out of service with a mechanical issue. “Late that evening, a second vessel had an engine failure,” the update stated. “With the Interisland boat already tied up for the night, this left only one of the route’s four ferries operating, which meant we did not have the capacity to move everyone who needed to travel from Anacortes to the islands on the last sailing.”
New vehicle reservations for the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route are blocked through December 19. Passengers who already have reservations will be loaded on a first-come, first-served basis and should expect delays.
To restore service, WSF expedited work on the Tillikum at the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility. “After successful maintenance, repairs, and inspections, the Tillikum will return to the route to operate as the #3 vessel, starting Friday, Dec. 12,” according to the update. However, because Tillikum is a smaller and slower vessel than the Kaleetan, WSF will be using an alternate schedule. The adjusted schedule is available on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands schedule page.
The disruption extends beyond the San Juan Islands. Until Kaleetan returns to service, the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route will remain on its two-boat schedule. “Unfortunately, this will be longer than our original one-week estimate,” according to the update. This follows WSF’s Service Contingency Plan, which outlines procedures when not enough vessels are available systemwide.
The incident highlights the challenges facing Washington State Ferries as it manages an aging fleet. “The average age of our fleet is 35 years,” the update noted. “The two ferries that had unplanned maintenance issues on Friday are 46 and 58 years old.” By comparison, most commercial ship owners consider vessels past their useful life at around 30 years.
“These ferries operate in salt water, around the clock, with very little downtime, making hundreds of landings a week,” the update explained. “Their systems become obsolete, and parts are hard to find. In some cases, we have to manufacture parts ourselves because the original equipment manufacturers are long out of business.”
Built in San Diego in 1967 and rebuilt in 1999, the Kaleetan can carry 1,195 passengers and 144 vehicles. The ferry has served Washington waters for 58 years, operating primarily on Puget Sound routes.
Help is on the horizon, though not immediately. Governor Bob Ferguson and legislative leadership have provided funding for three new ferries, with the first two already under contract. However, WSF expects the first new boat to arrive in 2030, meaning the system must continue managing its aging fleet for at least five more years.
Travelers can receive automated travel alerts at https://wsdot.wa.gov/Ferries/RouteAlerts/.
WSF Customer Service (Phone):
Local: 206-464-6400.
Toll-free: 888-808-7977.
Call Center hours 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.
