The Chetzemoka will return to service in Admiralty Inlet Thursday morning after workers completed repairs on Washington State Ferries’ newest vessel.

During routine maintenance that took place Wednesday night, workers discovered a split exhaust valve in the Chetzemoka’s number two engine, said Joy Goldenberg, spokesperson for Washington State Ferries.

The broken part prompted cancellation of the first two round-trip sailings on the Port Townsend to Coupeville ferry route Thursday morning. She said the Chetzemoka will return to service with the 9:30 a.m. sailing from Port Townsend.

The Chetzemoka is the only ferry in the system’s fleet capable of navigating the difficult entry into Keystone Harbor. When the ferry goes out of service, motorists are left waiting until sailings begin or they can take the lengthy trip around to the Olympic Peninsula. That trip includes taking ferries at Clinton and Edmonds and consumes as much as four hours to complete.