Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris said the ferry Quinault was arriving at Keystone from Port Townsend about 2:50 p.m. afternoon when it struck the pilings. Harris said nobody was hurt.

She said there was no damage to the terminal, and what appears to be only cosmetic damage to the ferry's starboard side.

The ferry will likely sail to the maintenance yard at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island once it is cleared by the Coast Guard to leave Keystone, which is on the west side of Whidbey Island.

The exact cause of the collision is not immediately available, although Harris says the Keystone-Port Townsend route is typically one of the more difficult to maneuver.

The ferry Klickitat was already in the area prepared to relieve the Quinault, so Harris says there should be minimal disruption of service.

The Quinault, a 256-foot-long car ferry, can hold 75 cars and 616 passengers. It was built in 1927 and rebuilt in 1985.