The ferry Malaspina is shown in drydock and the Columbia is tied up at the Ketchikan Shipyard in February, 2012. Damage to the Columbia is delaying its return to service this fall and the Malaspina will help fill in. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)

Alaskans have until the end of the month to tell the Marine Highway System what they think of its fall, winter and spring sailing plans. The schedule, which is similar to last year’s, came out later than usual and the comment period is shorter.

Last year, the fall-winter-spring ferry schedule was released in May. Residents had about a month to go through it and provide feedback.

This year, it wasn’t made available until mid-July, with a comment deadline two weeks later.

General Manager Capt. John Falvey said that’s because of the end-of-June resolution of the Legislature’s spending battles.

“Well, we can’t put schedules out to comment on until we have a final budget figure. So, being that we were running a little bit late this year, we just got a late start,” he said.

He said the ferry system wants a fast turnaround so it can begin taking reservations during the first week of August.

Written comments on the schedule are due by July 30 and a teleconference will be held the following day.

Read the ferry system’s letter to communities, which includes the draft schedule and links for public comments.

Extra ferry life rings lean against other spare parts at the Ketchikan Marine Engineering Facility at Ward Cove. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)

Marine Transportation Advisory Board Chairman Robert Venables doesn’t see that as a problem.

“It is a shorter public review and comment period. But I think most folks are very familiar with the schedule and the system and their needs. So, it’s best to get that schedule published and open for reservations,” he said.

One reason he’s not worried is that the schedule is very much like the previous year’s.

Falvey said a few sailings have been added, but not many.

“Operating weeks is about the same, overall. Budget’s about the same, overall. What you saw last year is about what you’re going to see this year, overall, with a little bit of a different switch on the ships,” he said.

That’s due to lengthy repairs to the ferry Columbia, which usually sails between Southeast and Bellingham, Washington. It’s been out of service since last September, due to a damaged propeller system.

“Those parts don’t exist. It’s all 1973 vintage and over the winter, that entire system had to be rebuilt in Germany. And we’re still not there yet,” he said.

The draft fall schedule shows the Columbia resuming service Oct. 1. But Falvey said that’s now pushed back about a month. Other ships will fill in.

The Columbia, the system’s largest ship, was damaged when it struck an underwater object. Falvey’s not sure what it hit, but it wasn’t a rock.

“There was something floating under water. A lot debris could have been floating 10 to 15 feet under the water,” he said.

This summer’s ferry schedule was published last fall, long before lawmakers decided how much money the system would get.

Officials committed to keeping that schedule, saying any funding cuts would be absorbed later in the fiscal year.

Venables, of the Marine Transportation Advisory Board, said the system had no choice, since last-minute changes would hurt summer tourism. But he said it’s not the best way to build a schedule.

“When you have very little notice on what the funding level’s going to be, then that uncertainty leads into the No. 1 revenue-generating month, which is July … it has ripple effects throughout the rest of the year,” he said.

The schedule, which covers October through April, uses nine of the marine highway’s 11 ships. The fast ferry Chenega is out, in long-term storage, and the mainliner Taku is for sale.

The post Late state budget delays fall-winter-spring ferry schedule appeared first on KSTK.

Two ferries dock at the Ketchikan Shipyard in 2012 while one is drydocked. Four of the marine highway’s ships are slated to be tied up for the 2016 season. (Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)

Port community leaders worry next summer’s Alaska Marine Highway System schedule will be as unreliable as this summer’s.

Budget cuts and mechanical breakdowns left many of this year’s passengers stranded, dropping destinations or switching to air travel. Town leaders say that hurt tourism, especially small-town excursions, restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts.

During Wednesday’s schedule teleconference, Wrangell Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore said she’s being asked whether it will happen again.

“It’s just so critical from an economic standpoint for our businesses and communities that if we have all these cancellations in July and August, it’ll just be disastrous,” she said.

Small communities dependent on the Alaska Marine Highway were hardest hit, since they had fewer alternatives.

Pelican Mayor Patricia Phillips said officials need to have backup plans when ferries break down.

“It’s essential to reschedule canceled service due to mechanicals or scheduling changes. We have freight out here waiting to ship out, so it’s important to reschedule that service,” she said.

Pelican isn’t in the draft schedule, though officials say it will be. But it, Sitka and many other communities will see reduced service .

The schedule is a worry for more than Southeast. Prince William Sound, for example, faces significant service cuts with its fast ferry tied up next year.

Alaska Travel Industry Association President Sarah Leonard said a third of her 700 member businesses are in ferry ports.

Transportation Department Deputy Commissioner Capt. Mike Neussl oversees the Alaska Marine Highway System. (Photo courtesy Department of Transportation)

“The changes to the schedule last summer resulted in a 14 percent decline in non-resident travel on the ferry. And members told us that they lost thousands of dollars in business due to the rebookings and cancellations,” she said.

Alaska Marine Highway officials said they’re doing their best to design a schedule that can be maintained.

That’s the reason for the deep reductions proposed for next summer, which reflect a $25 million budget cut.

Transportation Department Deputy Commissioner Mike Neussl said everything depends on legislative funding.

“There’s always risk and uncertainty there. I will do my best in testifying and communicating that it’s important that we lock that schedule in and fund the schedule we publish,” he said.

Neussl and other ferry officials say they’ll make some changes in the draft schedule for next summer. It should be complete in December.

The post Can the ferry system be more reliable? appeared first on KSTK.

The ferry Malaspina follows the LeConte out of Auke Bay in September of 2012. The winter 2014-2015 schedule shows both tied up for repairs or overhauls. (Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)

Alaska Marine Highway officials want your comments on next fall and winter’s ferry sailings.

A draft schedule for October of 2014 through April of 2015 is now available online. A teleconferenced public hearing will be on April 8th.

The schedule lists some changes, many due to off-season layups and repairs.

Read the schedule documents.

For example, the small Southeast ferry LeConte will get a new bow thruster next winter. It’s been breaking down and delaying sailings.

General Manager John Falvey says the thruster controls the side-to-side movement of the forward hull.

“It’s old. It’s 20 to 25 years old. And in this next federal project this winter we’re going to completely replace that bow thruster and we hope that those problems will come to an end,” Falvey says.

The Aurora, the LeConte’s sister ship, will sail in its place. It’s usually in Prince William Sound.

The Kennicott and the Chenega will also be in for repairs next winter.

All 11 marine highway vessels will also undergo overhauls.

The finished schedule will only be posted online. Falvey says the printed brochures used for decades were expensive and sometimes wrong.

“Our system is so complex that book, in many cases … would be outdated before it was printed, because of changes. This changes and that changes. So the information you get online is up to the minute,” Falvey says.

The April 8th schedule teleconference will take Southeast testimony starting at 10 a.m. Comments from those in Southcentral and Southwest will follow at 1 p.m.

To join in, dial (800) 315-6338. The conference code is 3902#.

Written comments can be emailed to dot.amhs.comments@alaskagov.org or faxed to (907) 586-8365 by April 5th.

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