The Coupeville ferry was temporarily out of service Wednesday.

The boat was back in service at 2 p.m.

Washington State Ferries sent out an alert after the Kennewick ferry pulled into the dock and bumped into the ground Wednesday morning.

Ian Sterling, public information officer for Washington State Ferries, said the incident was considered a “soft grounding.” The ground in that particular area consists primarily of sand and mud, Sterling said, and it is unlikely the boat sustained any serious damage.

“That’s arguably our most complicated landing,” Sterling said of the Coupeville ferry dock landing. “It’s very challenging for our captains and crew.”

The boat had departed on the 6:30 a.m. sailing from Port Townsend and was grounded at approximately 7 a.m.Sterling noted that soft groundings and hard groundings are treated the same in the interest of safety. Members of the coast guard inspected the boat.

The Kennewick could not be moved from the dock for the duration of the inspection. All sailings on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route were cancelled until 2 p.m., when sailings resumed.

The Salish was also unable to sail due to the Kennewick blocking the Coupeville dock. According to the alert, alternate routes included Edmonds/Kingston and Mukilteo/Clinton.

Those who had reservations for the Port Townsend/Coupeville ferry will not be charged a penalty if they were unable to travel due to cancellations, according to the alert. Reservation holders for any remaining sailings will be prioritized on a first come, first serve basis, according to the alert.