Mary Lynne Dahl and Jim enjoy skiing in Smithers, British Columbia.
“We’ve done over 160 trips. She explained that she and her husband have been doing this for around 20 years.
The Ketchikan couple spends usually two to three weeks at their Smithers cabin. It’s not an easy feat to drive the four-hours through northern B.C. It’s winter in the middle of January. After a seven-hour ferry ride from Ketchikan, Prince Rupert.
It’s been well worth it. The Smithers Ski School was the first place that nine grandkids of the Dahls learned to ski, along with half a dozen of their Ketchikan neighbors.
Mary Lynne said that the Dahls had planned to take a longer trip this year. Since the Marine Highway System didn’t run any ferries in January, they would stay for about two months.
She explained that she had to travel down to Seattle in December to be able to visit our family and friends, and could not leave until February 7.
Why are there no January ferries? The Matanuska ferry, which runs to Prince Rupert was at the shipyard doing some maintenance.
Crews discovered some serious problems on the Matanuska during its annual overhaul. Katherine Keith, Deputy Transportation Commissioner, stated at a Marine Highway Operations Board meeting recently that crumbling asbestos is the problem.
“We know there has always been asbestos aboard these aging vessels. Keith explained that asbestos can become dangerous if it is exposed or friable.
This immediately halted work. The state does not want pipefitters and welders inhaling cancer-causing dust. However, crumbling asbestos was not the end of what they discovered.
Keith stated that “In addition to this, there was more found steel during the overhaul which is going to increase both the cost and the time that the vessel will be in overhaul.”
Keith claims that repairs to the corroded iron will significantly increase the cost of the overhaul. She also stated that the ferry service isn’t sure what to do about the 60-year-old vessel.
She stated that she would like to take a look at our capital investments in the project and see if it is the right decision. “This steel work could raise the cost of the overhaul by $8 to $10 million.”
This raises a lot of questions. Since the Matanuska was launched, it has served as the main vessel on the “mainline” route through Southeast Alaska. The Matanuska’s sister ships, the Taku and Malaspina, are out of service. One was scrapped, and the other sold as a floating museum.
To maintain its key certification under the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (also known as SOLAS), the Matanuska will have to begin major renovations by December 2024 . This is required in order to dock in Canada.
For a more immediate concern, however:
Keith stated that these developments will mean that the Matanuska won’t be able to participate in our summer schedule.
Or the February schedule.
Keith states that the ferry service has options. The flagship ferry Columbia will be taking over for the Matanuska.
Keith stated, “The Columbia will now appear on our schedule and sailing as early as February 13th.”
This is just a week after the Dahls had originally planned to sail home. This might not be an issue if the Dahls were to sail home from Prince Rupert. It’s a smart idea to have a little cushion in case you get delayed.
The Columbia will not be traveling to Prince Rupert, however. It is not approved for international travel. Even if it were, it is not compatible for international travel.
The Kennicott, another ship that has the required SOLAS certification, is due to arrive at the shipyard in February.
Dahl received the bad news a few days back.
“The ferry company called us to inform us that the ferry from Prince Rupert back to Ketchikan had been cancelled. Period. There is no way to replace it. We asked, “What?” Dahl asked, “What are we supposed do?”
They could fly home. It’s difficult to fly home with two dogs and a car loaded with ski gear. Cars are not considered checked baggage by airlines.
She said that they told her, “Well, you know, there’s no other option than driving down to Bellingham.”
Bellingham, Washington is the southernmost port of the Marine Highway System. It is also 13 hours from Smithers, and this is in summer when there are clear roads.
Dahl explained that they would drive 700 miles from Smithers to Bellingham, then get on the ferry to go another week to Ketchikan.
KRBD attempted to reach out to the Department of Transportation and find out how many people were affected. We were interested in finding out if plans exist to send another boat to pick people up stuck in Canada, whether it is a state ferry or private vessel. We wanted to know if any plans were in place to assist people with driving costs to Bellingham. DOT did not respond to our requests for interviews or give us a written statement.
Mary Lynne is now on her own with her husband.
She said, “It’s really annoying.” “I know these boats are old. They do require maintenance. However, this should be something that can be planned and expected. You’ve already sold the tickets, so it is unlikely that the boat will sink. She suggests that you pick up those people and take them home.
She has some suggestions. She said she would like to see more ferry ships upgraded to be able to handle Prince Rupert. She believes the Alaska Legislature should be able to protect the Marine Highway’s budget against shifting political winds.
The Dahls plan to make a long, cold journey south for the time being.
