KEYSTONE — Washington State Ferries may have an answer this week why the MV Quinault hit pilings Friday at the Keystone terminal on Whidbey Island, slightly damaging the vessel.
The cause of the collision won’t be known until State Ferries and Coast Guard officials check a number of factors, such as tide and water current conditions and the vessel’s speed, said Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris.
Harris said State Ferries officials will look into the circumstances this week to determine the cause.
No injuries were reported, she said.
The ferry MV Quinault, with 91 passengers and 40 vehicles aboard, was arriving at Keystone from Port Townsend at about 2:50 p.m. when it struck a “dolphin” — a group of pilings that helps guide ferries into the slip, Harris said.
The terminal suffered no damage, and the ferry’s starboard or right side sustained what appeared to be only cosmetic damage, Harris said.