SEATTLE — Most Washington State Ferries routes returned to regular service Tuesday, Oct. 6, after a day of widespread cancellations and long waits, though several early sailings were canceled and one route remained on a reduced schedule. The Mukilteo-Clinton, Edmonds-Kingston and Seattle-Bainbridge Island routes each had morning sailings canceled. Washington State Ferries said regular service would resume after those cancellations and described service levels as back to normal, with minimal early-morning disruptions. The Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route was operating with two boats instead of three. The vessel Kitsap was out of service because of a crew shortage and was expected to remain sidelined until staff became available. The recovery followed a major disruption Monday, when 23 union engineers called in sick. With no qualified relief workers available to cover the vacant positions, 13 of the region’s 18 ferries were taken out of service, prompting cancellations and waits that stretched for hours. The Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association said the absences were not coordinated and reflected a workforce under strain. Union leaders have cited chronic workload concerns: a union survey over the summer found that more than half of Washington State Ferries engineers reported low morale, and engineers logged more than 100,000 overtime hours in the previous year. One engineer worked more than 1,800 overtime hours, union secretary-treasurer Roland “Rex” Rexha said. Gov. Bob Ferguson met with union leaders Monday as the state confronted the staffing crisis. He acknowledged their concerns but criticized the disruption’s effect on riders, saying it caused significant harm and inconvenience. Ferguson said he expected every vessel on every route to be operational by the first sailing Tuesday. Rexha said the union also wanted ferries to run on time and safely. The staffing shortages leave riders dependent on the availability of qualified crew members to keep vessels in service, even as the system works to restore its schedule.