Captain sleeps on wrong ferry, delayed

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FREELAND, Wash., Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Whidbey Island ferry service between Clinton and Mukilteo, Wash., was delayed when a captain fell asleep on the wrong vessel, officials said.

The Cathlamet, the first boat out of Clinton at 4:30 a.m., was forced to turn around halfway through its journey when the captain realized the captain of the other boat -- the Kittitas -- had fallen asleep on the wrong vessel, the Whidbey News-Times reported.

Staffing problems related to sickness and other issues have plagued the ferry line this year, but this is the first time a captain sleeping on the wrong boat caused a delay, the newspaper said.

"The captain of the Kittitas was overnighting on the Cathlamet," Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Marta Coursey said. "He overslept, and the Cathlamet didn't realize it," she said, adding the snafu caused a 20-minute delay.