The Washington State Ferries captured a video of a 100-foot, crewless “ghost boat” that appeared in front of the Mukilteo terminal early Thursday morning.
Coast Guard officials noted that the commercial fishing vessel, the Mary B, is one of three boats that broke free of its mooring at Sanko Fisheries Pier, located south of the Highway 2 bridge near Everett. However, it appears to be the only one to drift up the Snohomish River and make it as far as Puget Sound.
The footage of the boat blocking the dock from the oncoming ferry was posted to the ferries’ Facebook later that day, receiving 6,500 reactions. The boat did not cause any damage to the terminal, according to the post.
“Looks like the opening to a Stephen King movie. Glad there were no injuries or damage. Thanks for posting!” someone commented on the video.
According to the post, the ferry Tokitae approached the dock slowly through the dark, guided by its two flood lights, until the ghostly vessel drifted out of the way.
“Situations like this are not just unusual, they’re dangerous,” Washington State Ferries wrote on Facebook. “An unlit vessel can create serious hazards on the water and put other boats and people at risk. This is why navigational lights on our ferries are so important.”
The post also recognized employees for “the training and professionalism they bring every day to help keep our customers safe.”
Later that day, the Coast Guard reported that the Mary B was safely in tow.

