PORT TOWNSEND — As the Steilacoom II suffered through high swells and high winds of Admiralty Inlet on Monday, city and state officials huddled on the future of the Port Townsend-Keystone ferry run.
The leased 50-car, 300-passenger ferry servicing the route missed two scheduled crossings Monday and ran behind schedule by 65 minutes at one point.
Washington State Ferries blamed heavy swells for the problems.
Meanwhile at City Hall, Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval and Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conyers met with state Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond and ferries chief David Moseley in the mayors’ hope that a larger replacement ferry — or three — could be built for the sometime-blustery route across Admiralty Inlet.
They were told that the state is continuing with its plan to build a Steilacoom II-type of smaller vessel first.
But Washington State Ferries is also reassessing its plans and might build larger vessels — if it can find another car-passenger ferry to lease after the Steilacoom II‘s pact expires next year.
So far, that task has been unsuccessful, the city officials were told.
