State says more sailings likely to be added
Haines won’t see a ferry between Jan. 7 and Feb. 4 unless the state adds sailings to the winter schedule it published Wednesday.
And only one ferry per week, the Matanuska, will call on Haines in February, according to the schedule.
But Haines could see significantly more service if the state can hire enough crew to operate the Tazlina.
“I would say that it’s very likely (Tazlina sailings) will be added. Probably by the middle of October we’ll have a better idea. We’re evaluating crew levels. We do expect to run it,” said Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Sam Dapcevich.
The state’s proposed winter schedule, which was released in August for public comment, listed a possible two sailings per week in January and February on the Tazlina “pending crew.”
The schedule published this week includes more frequent service in other months, with four or five sailings per week October through December and three or four per week in March and April.
The proposed schedule had service once per week to Haines in January and February on the Columbia, en route from Washington state, but that sailing doesn’t appear on the schedule published this week. Dapcevich said the state decided to hold the Columbia as a backup for the Matanuska and Kennicott because it requires more crew.
That means if the Matanuska breaks down, the Columbia could be pulled into action for the northern Lynn Canal route.
Dapcevich said the Tazlina — which would replace the LeConte during winter overhaul — is ready to go as long as the state can crew it. If it doesn’t run, he said, the state would still try to offer supplemental service to Haines and Skagway with Goldbelt or Allen Marine. “We know that’s not the ideal situation to run those up there in the winter time, and that’s why we’re pushing hard for the Tazlina,” Dapcevich said.
Dozens of concerned citizens from around the state, including from Haines, submitted comments requesting more frequent service after the state released its proposed schedule last month.
“Please do not take away Haines’s ferry access for winter months!” wrote Alisa Beske, a registered nurse at SEARHC. “We rely heavily on ferry services for medical travel for many of our patients. Ferry travel is often the only option for patients who require handicap accessibility. Financial restraints also prevent many community members from flying to leave town in the winter. … Taking away our ferry access for months would be a HUGE disservice to the people of Haines.”