Discover the Wsf-Kaleetan: Ratings & Maritime News

A thorough evaluation conducted on December 5, 2025, revealed substantial engine damage to the 'Kaleetan', a ferry that has been temporarily taken out of service. The issue arose from a malfunction in one of the engine's four valves during routine operation, leading to damage within one of the engine cylinders. As a result, the 'Kaleetan' is expected to be out of commission this week and potentially into the next two weeks. In the meantime, Operations, Planning, and Customer Service teams are actively exploring strategies to reinstate a four-vessel service to the San Juan Islands ahead of the weekend. Currently, the Anacortes/San Juan Island route is being maintained with three operational vessels.

On April 4, 2022, at approximately 7:30 a.m., the Washington State Ferries (WSF) vessel 'Kaleetan' experienced a significant hard landing at Colman Dock, resulting in the temporary sidelining of both the ferry and a slip at the Seattle terminal. The accident occurred while the ferry was en route from Bainbridge Island to Seattle, causing damage to one of the crucial wing walls that assist in guiding vessels into the terminal. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. It remains uncertain whether weather conditions played a role in this incident. As a precautionary measure, crew members underwent intoxicant screenings in line with standard operating procedures following such occurrences. By about 1 p.m., WSF announced that the 'Kaleetan' was cleared to resume service, although assessments on the dock's condition were still in progress. Notably, the incident resulted in the need to replace 8 to 10 broken wooden planks. Throughout this disruption, ferry services on the Bremerton and Bainbridge routes continued unaffected by utilizing the alternate slip at Colman Dock. For additional details, including photographs, visit the reporting link.

On the morning of May 8, 2019, operations on the Seattle-Bremerton ferry route faced significant disruption when the vessel 'Kaleetan' was temporarily sidelined due to a steering malfunction. The issue came to light as the ferry departed Bremerton for its scheduled 7:20 a.m. journey to Seattle. As a result, Washington State Ferries was forced to cancel the 10 a.m. departure from Seattle and the subsequent 11:10 a.m. sailing from Bremerton. Fortunately, the 'Kaleetan' was able to make its way to Colman Dock in Seattle for immediate repairs. Following successful maintenance work, the ferry resumed its route with the 12:20 p.m. sailing, restoring service for travelers.

On March 15, 2019, the Washington State Ferries' vessel, "Kaleetan", suffered significant engine problems while operating on the Bremerton-Seattle route. As a result, the ferry has been laid up at the Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility on Bainbridge Island, awaiting repairs. In response to the unexpected outage and with no replacement vessel on hand, Washington State Ferries made the decision to divert the smaller ferry, "Sealth", from its regular service on the Southworth-Vashon-Fauntleroy route. The "Sealth", which has a reduced capacity of 54 vehicles compared to the "Kaleetan", began servicing the Bremerton route on January 18, as the latter continues to be sidelined for necessary repairs. These operational adjustments are expected to last until March 23. Originally, the "Kaleetan" was scheduled to undergo maintenance shortly after the March 15 incident; however, the sudden engine failure prompted a premature withdrawal from service. The challenges faced by WSF are heightened due to earlier issues with the "Wenatchee", which was pulled into emergency dry dock following damage from a crab pot line, leading to further service limitations. Fortunately, the "Wenatchee" has since resumed operations on the Bainbridge-Seattle route. With multiple vessels undergoing repairs and annual Coast Guard inspections ongoing, Washington State Ferries finds itself with an insufficient fleet to meet service demands. The agency typically schedules maintenance work during the winter months when passenger traffic is lighter, but the current circumstances have created notable disruptions in service availability.