LUMMI ISLAND, Wash. — About 6:30pm on Monday, April 4, 2026, the Whatcom County Public Works Ferry Division announced they had identified a steering issue. The Whatcom Chief was removed from service at the Gooseberry Point terminal while a crew worked to diagnose the issue. Mechanics arrived at the terminal later on, and the vessel resumed limited service for the remainder of the night according to a 9:50pm announcement.
The ferry resumed limited-service Tuesday morning. The vessel was taken out of service at about 10:30am to allow crews to complete repairs. A vendor was on-site during the afternoon to troubleshoot the steering system.
At about 3:20pm, Ferry officials reported that steering repairs were underway, and sea trials were expected to begin within 1 hour.
Officials announced about 4:45pm the Whatcom Chief was back in service.
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