Alaska Marine Highway System: Difference between revisions

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===Retired===
===Retired===
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Revision as of 03:07, 12 March 2021

The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMH) is a state-operated ferry system serving the State of Alaska.

History

The predecessor of the AMHS was formed in June 1951, when the Territory of Alaska purchased Chilkoot Motorship Lines, which was operating a route between Juneau, Haines, and Skagway. After Alaska became a state in 1959, the Alaska Marine Highway System was created as a comprehensive ferry system to connect Alaska and its various islands with the rest of the United States.[1]

The first vessel built for AMHS, Malaspina, began operating in 1963, and connected ports in southeastern Alaska. Service in south-central and southwestern Alaska began in 1964 with the delivery of Tustumena.[1] Service initially operated as far south as Prince Rupert, BC, where connections with the highway system and BC Ferries service south were available. In 1967, AMHS service was extended further south to Seattle, WA in order for Alaska to have direct access to the lower 48 states.

Increased demand in the late 1960s and 1970s led to most of the mainline vessels being extended, and the construction of two new vessels (LeConte and Aurora) to serve smaller communities in southeastern Alaska that were no longer able to be served by the newly enlarged mainline vessels. AMHS played a large role in the Exxon Valdez oil spill, with two vessels assisting the clean-up efforts. Because of lessons learned from this disaster, AMHS ordered a new vessel (Kennicott) that was designed to be usable as a command centre for future emergency operations.[1]

Routes

  • Southeastern Alaska:
    • Skagway-Haines-Juneau
    • Juneau-Ketchikan-Prince Rupert-Bellingham
    • Day boats provide service from Juneau and Ketchikan to various communities in southeastern Alaska, typically within a 12-hour round trip.
  • South-central Alaska:
    • Bellingham-Ketchikan-Juneau-Yakutat-Whittier-Kodiak-Cordova
    • Cordova-Valdez-Whittier
  • Southwestern Alaska:
    • Homer-Kodiak
    • Service along the Aleutian Islands once per month

Fleet

Active

Name Thumbnail Year Builder Vehicle capacity Passenger capacity Route served Notes
Aurora[2] 1977 Peterson Builders 33 250 Day Boat
(Southeast Alaska)
Columbia[3] 1974 Lockheed Shipbuilding 133 499 Mainline
(Southeast Alaska)
Kennicott[4] 1998 Halter Marine Group 67-78 450 Mainline
(South-central Alaska)
  • Designed with capability of acting as an emergency command centre during oil spill cleanup.
  • Certified ocean class for cross-Gulf routes.
LeConte[5] 1974 Peterson Builders 33 225 Day Boat
(Southeast Alaska)
Lituya[6] 2004 Conrad Shipyards 15 125 Ketchikan - Metlakatla
Matanuska[7] 1963 Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock 83 450 Mainline
(Southeast Alaska)
  • Lengthened in 1978.

Long-term Layup

Name Thumbnail Year Builder Vehicle capacity Passenger capacity Route served Notes
Hubbard[8] 2019 Vigor Shipyard 40 280 Day Boat
(Whitier-Cordova-Valdez)
  • Will enter service when the Tazlina re-enter service
Malaspina[9] 1963 Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock 83 450 Mainline
(Southeast Alaska)
  • Lengthened in 1972.
  • Withdrawn in December 2019;[10] requires $18 million in repair work to resume service.
Tazlina[11] 2019 Vigor Shipyard 40 280 Day Boat
(Southeast Alaska)
  • Enters service when she done fitting out her with a side door for cars.
Tustumena[12] 1964 Christy Corporation 34 160 Mainline
(Southwest Alaska)
  • Lengthened in 1969.
  • Certified ocean class for cross-Gulf routes.
  • Re-enter service on February 21, 2021

Retired

Name Thumbnail Year Builder Vehicle capacity Passenger capacity Route(s) served Notes
Chilkat 1957 J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding 15 59 Day Boat
(Southeast Alaska)
  • First vessel operated by AMHS.
  • Sold in 1988; currently in use as a scallop tender.[1]
E.L. Bartlett 1968 Day Boat
(Southeast Alaska)
  • Sold in 2003 to Lloyd Cannon; donated to Seattle Maritime Academy in 2008.
Taku 1963 Puget Sound Bridge & Dry Dock 69 370 Mainline
(Southeast Alaska)
Wickersham 1967 Mainline
(Southeast Alaska)
  • Ex-Stena Britannica, purchased in 1968.
  • Sold to Sally Line in 1974. Scrapped in 2001.
Chenega[13] 2005 Derecktor Shipyards 31 210 Day Boat
(Southcentral Alaska)
  • Withdrawn in 2017/2018 due to reduced operating subsidies; expected to be sold.
Fairweather[14] 2004 Derecktor Shipyards 31 210 Day Boat
(Southeast Alaska)
  • Withdrawn in 2019 due to reduced operating subsidies; expected to be sold.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 History of AMHS, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  2. ↑ MV Aurora, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ MV Columbia, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ MV Kennicott, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  5. ↑ MV LeConte, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  6. ↑ MV Lituya, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  7. ↑ MV Matanuska, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  8. ↑ MV Hubbard, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  9. ↑ MV Malaspina, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  10. ↑ Future of Alaska ferry Malaspina in question as state consigns ship to ‘long-term layup’, KTOO, published November 20, 2019.
  11. ↑ MV Tazlina, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  12. ↑ MV Tustumena, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  13. ↑ FVF Chenega, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ FVF Fairweather, Alaska Marine Highway System, retrieved June 14, 2020.
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