A new partnership has been forged to solve a number of longstanding local issues: the need for more affordable housing for younger residents, the replacement of floats in Letnikof Cove, increased year-round employment, and the need for a self-contained, full-entertainment venue with a great view.
Alaska Clean Water Advocacy and Haines Packing Company are teaming up to bring the retiring Matanuska ferry to Haines, where it will be permanently moored in picturesque Letnikof Cove, a short drive from downtown. According to ACWA Director Gershon Cohen, “It’s an obvious win, win, win, win, we’ve never seen so many wins…” The Mat, as it has been affectionately known in Southeast Alaska for more than 60 years, has over a hundred staterooms that will be rented out for a nominal per-berth fee, creating an affordable housing option for younger folks totally lacking in marketable skills and financial resources. The amenities package is off the charts; the ship has a theater, a bar, a full-service kitchen, and a solarium deck for watching the sunset with a cold one. Rietze, owner of Haines Packing, adds that the car deck can be transformed into a complete sports complex with a basketball court, weight room, and indoor soccer field. It is anticipated the kitchen/cafeteria will become a new eating establishment open to the entire community, to be named the Old Ferry Kitchen.
The Ports and Harbors Committee anticipates using the ship’s oil boom topped with planking to create a structure for tying up skiffs for the local subsistence fleet. The planning department is equally excited by the possibility of an alternative to the “Yard” where rafter dudes and dudettes who can’t afford apartments live in school busses all summer without adequate toilet facilities. Everyone agrees the Mat is sure to become a world-famous party destination for twenty-somethings thanks to our wonderful modern social media platforms, and the school administrators are excited because “related activities” will eventually lead to an increase in the number of kids attending the Haines School.
A concern that the entire area will reek from marijuana consumption is simply more NIMBY fear-mongering by local residents. Cohen promises the ship will be outfitted with the latest in open-loop scrubbers to capture and remove all polluting intoxicants from the ship’s air emissions, transferring the contaminants to the water and the fish, shrimp and crab populations, which will make them easier to catch and reduce fishing time, and therefore decrease two-stroke outboard motor pollution as well. In addition to using cruise-ship scrubbers, cruise-industry representatives are actively engaged in discussions with the developers to operate a casino on board because the state’s ban on casino gambling doesn’t apply to floating vessels. According to future gambling casino manager Einsbruch, the ship’s forward-lounge chairs
could easily be swapped out for blackjack tables, leaving enough room for magic shows, a band, and a few pool tables, and the long hallways are perfect for a long line of slot machines.
It looks to be a major win for Haines: more affordable housing, increased year-round employment, float replacement in Letnikof Cove, and an uncontrollable explosion of the valley’s tourist industry. What’s not to like?