This spring, Columbia, Alaska’s flagship ferry, will be sailing in Southeast communities. It is the largest ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway, but it has been docked at Ketchikan since 2019. This was to save money.
Wednesday was the announcement by Alaska Department of Transportation. Spokesperson Sam Dapcevich said crews discovered an inexplicable error while maintaining the ferry, which typically covers Southeast routes. According to him, Matanuska, a 60-year-old vessel that carries a lot of “wasted steel,” has some excess.
Dapcevich stated Wednesday that it was like corroded steel and the vessel needs to be repaired. They didn’t anticipate that they would have to do it. It increases the cost and pushes the timeline for the return of service.
The Department of Transportation declared last fall that the Columbia, a 418-foot vessel, would remain docked in spite of years of work to make it ready for sail. The original plan was to assign the Matanuska the mainline Southeast route.
The Columbia was used as housing during its three-year long layup to house crew members of the Alaska Marine Highway. Dapcevich states that the Matanuska will most likely assume this role when the Columbia is re-inducted into service.
“While [Columbia] operated as a housing vessel or ‘hotelship’ we call them, it was also getting work done,” Dapcevich said. “And that will likely to be the same case for the Matanuska, while it’s being repaired, it will still be a hotelship.”
Dapcevich states that the Columbia will begin sailing Southeast routes in February 13.
This will result in some changes to schedules and routes. One, the Columbia isn’t certified to service international ports. It won’t be allowed to stop at Prince Rupert in British Columbia. After crews complete scheduled maintenance, Dapcevich states that the smaller Kennicott will assume control of the Canadian route in May.
Dapcevich also stated that the Columbia is unable to dock at the Kupreanof Island community, Kake. Therefore, the Marine Highway is trying to add sailings from Kake to the day ferry LeConte.
Dapcevich states that Columbia’s sit down dining room, one of two in the state’s ferry fleet, won’t likely be open. However, the grab-and go cafeteria should. The department is hopeful of opening the ferry’s bar as well, but that’s still in flux.
According to the department, it plans to publish the Columbia’s complete sailing schedule within the next few days.
