Ferry was trying to avoid construction when it hit dock in Bremerton

The passenger-only ferry Snohomish was trying to avoid construction equipment near the Bremerton ferry terminal when it ran into the dock Monday, injuring five passengers, according to the ferry service and the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is investigating the accident.

"It was more of a 'bump' and less of a 'crash,' " said Mark McCadden, chief of the Prevention Department at Coast Guard Sector Seattle.

The nearly full ferry, with 140 passengers on board, collided with the dock moving at about 3 miles per hour.

Five passengers reported bruises after disembarking, although none required medical attention, McCadden said.

Dianne Harlan, who lives in Port Orchard, was riding the ferry when it hit the dock and said it was a dramatic scene, with people being flung off their feet and a child was sent flying onto the floor.

She said a man standing by the front window of the ferry was thrown into the window. Harlan said she wasn't injured only because her husband had made her sit down just before the accident. "The ferry hit the side pilings first and whacked it good," she said. "Nobody asked if we were OK. They just opened the door and whisked us off."

She said there were no warnings about the accident, except for one crew member who yelled at people to sit down just before the crash.

"I was scared to death," said Harlan, who has been riding the ferries since 1996.

Steve Rodgers, director of operations for Washington State Ferries, said the accident happened when the Snohomish was trying to maneuver around construction equipment that is being used to build a new Bremerton marina.

He said the Snohomish couldn't back down fast enough to avoid hitting the dock. He said the equipment at the Bremerton marina is causing ferries troubles and the boats have a hard time maneuvering around the equipment.

Last week the ferry Yakima was damaged when it ran into a breakwater being constructed at the marina, causing significant damage.

"We opposed having the breakwater put in," said Rodgers. "You put a 360-foot boat in there and you have a maneuverability problem."

Steve Slaton, director of marine facilities for the Port of Bremerton, saw Monday night's landing and said the ferry "cleared the equipment and hit its own dock really hard. It didn't hit the (construction) equipment."

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer James Bayer said the boat and the dock both sustained "cosmetic" damages. The boat missed its last two runs Monday but was back in service this morning, said Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris.

"I wouldn't call it a crash. It was a hard landing," Harris said. She had few details of the incident and referred questions to the Coast Guard.

Rodgers said he's still awaiting the ferry system's report on the accident.

Bayer said weather "did not appear at this point to play a role" in the 5 p.m. accident.

The 143-foot Snohomish was on the Bremerton run after the ferry Yakima was damaged in a similar incident last week.

Ferry personnel are testing the crew for drugs and alcohol, Harris said, noting "that's standard procedure."

The Snohomish, which had been operating on the Port Townsend-Keystone route, was shifted to the Bremerton route Friday after the Yakima crashed into the breakwater Friday morning. The captain of that vessel tested negative for alcohol, and the drug tests aren't yet available, Rodgers said.

"We don't know how long [the Yakima] is going to be out," Harris said.

Three passenger-only ferries, including the Snohomish, are temporarily running the Bremerton route.

The ferry Snohomish belongs to Washington State Ferries. The other two ferries have been leased from Victoria Express. The car ferry Kitsap also runs the route.

Another car ferry, the 144-car Hyak, will undergo sea trials tonight and is expected to be operating on the Bremerton run Wednesday, returning two car ferries to that route.

Haley Edwards: 206-464-2745 or hedwards@seattletimes.com

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com