Southeast Alaska’s mainline ferry Columbia is stuck in Ketchikan, more than a week after its sailings were halted due to mechanical trouble, as engineers wait for a new engine piston to arrive from Germany.

Because of the repairs, the ferry is not scheduled to get back to Wrangell until Sunday, Nov. 22, on its first northbound stop in town since Oct. 25.

The Columbia missed its Nov. 1 and 8 northbound stops in Wrangell, with the Nov. 15 sailing also canceled, according to the Alaska Marine Highway System online schedule as of Monday morning. It’s the same fate for its Nov. 4, 11 and 18 southbound stops in town.

The ship is scheduled to get back to work on Nov. 18, when it will leave Ketchikan for Bellingham, Washington, to start its next northbound sailing. 

Getting the ferry back to work depends on arrival and installation of the engine piston. The replacement part, shipped direct from the manufacturer in Germany, was scheduled to arrive in Ketchikan on Monday, the ferry system said in an online posting.

When the ferry broke down in Ketchikan on Nov. 1, the state said it hoped to fix the piston by Nov. 8, to make the northbound departure from Ketchikan scheduled for that day. Parts and repairs took longer than officials had hoped last week.

About 70 passengers were traveling northbound when it broke down on Nov. 1, according to KRBD public radio in Ketchikan.

“Many passengers are choosing to stay on board,” the station reported on Nov. 2. “The crew is offering free food and even shuttled a handful of passengers to Ketchikan’s Gateway Recreation Center so they could vote in the general election.”

Last month, the Columbia was delayed in Bellingham for more than 24 hours due to an issue with its engine’s piston sleeve and had to skip some stops on its route through Southeast to make up for lost time, including canceling a stop in Wrangell.

After a winter layup for annual maintenance at the Ketchikan shipyard this year, the Columbia was delayed in getting back to work after problems arose with the turbine that powers the bow thruster which aids the ship’s maneuverability.

The Columbia is the largest vessel in the fleet and has been in service since 1974.