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Post by Northern Exploration on Jan 29, 2008 17:47:02 GMT -8
I was not sure whether Canada has a consulate in Seattle. geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/seattle/menu-en.asp According to the website the Seattle office covers 4 states. It is however not unusual for one country to accept and process paperwork on behalf of another country. It doesn't mean that the country actually acts as the consulate. But rather it is like an address that someone can go to and the paperwork is sent on somewhere else. It helps save money because one country can't be in every city. As well there are times when a particular country is not represented in a country for various reasons. Another "friendly" consulate may operate on their behalf. Sometimes it is official and sometimes very unofficial.
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Post by BreannaF on Jan 29, 2008 20:15:06 GMT -8
I was not sure whether Canada has a consulate in Seattle. geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/seattle/menu-en.asp According to the website the Seattle office covers 4 states. It is however not unusual for one country to accept and process paperwork on behalf of another country. It doesn't mean that the country actually acts as the consulate. But rather it is like an address that someone can go to and the paperwork is sent on somewhere else. It helps save money because one country can't be in every city. As well there are times when a particular country is not represented in a country for various reasons. Another "friendly" consulate may operate on their behalf. Sometimes it is official and sometimes very unofficial. Canada has consulate offices in Washington, DC, and in Seattle, New York, Buffalo, Los Angeles, and Detroit. I'm guessing that the British consulate would be helpful in places in the world where no Canadian representative was available. I also suspect that those places are few and far between, anymore. The old journalists information in that case is likely outdated.
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Post by ruddernut on Jan 30, 2008 0:54:27 GMT -8
Prince Rupert's hotel industry is probably happy, re more Alaska traffic being herded through the Prince Rupert terminal. There's also a possible spin-off effect of more lower-48 traffic taking BC Ferries' ship from Vancouver Island to Prince Rupert, as 1 part of the journey north (take the other part by land through BC, stopping at every Wal*Mart along the way, much like Canadians stop at every Tim Hortons....) That's actually good, eh? Carrying all those cars by boat throughout the length of Vancouver Island is a waste when there's a perfectly good land route right alongside it. Too bad about those whose criminal records make entry into Canada difficult though.
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Post by Barnacle on Jan 30, 2008 8:17:59 GMT -8
Too bad about those whose criminal records make entry into Canada difficult though. It isn't as bad as it sounds, apparently. The Canadian government charges a fair number of them a revenue-generating tithe one-time fee and somehow this absolves the sin makes rehabilitation.
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Post by SS Shasta on Jan 30, 2008 11:26:51 GMT -8
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Kam
Voyager
Posts: 926
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Post by Kam on Jan 30, 2008 16:24:44 GMT -8
WOW! thats a hell of a lot of ice!
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Post by Curtis on Jan 30, 2008 17:48:48 GMT -8
That's just unbelievable ! She's like a steel iceberg.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Jan 31, 2008 3:09:32 GMT -8
Well, all of our ferries are named after glaciers... As you can tell from my name, yes I do work on the LeConte, and yes I did just happen to be working this week. In fact it was my watch when all this took place. The articles have been toned down a bit, though I am not sure why. For those of you unfamiliar with the LeConte here are the basics. Built 1973-4, she is 235ft long, weighing in at 1329 gross tons. She can carry 36 standard size cars and 250 passengers. She is one of the smallest vessels in the AMHS fleet and serves the smaller outlying communities in Southeast Alaska as a day boat based out of Juneau. On Saturday, winds were a steady 70 to 80 knots, and our wind indicator registered a gust of 148kts. I will post a pic as soon as I get off the ship (bandwidth limitations and all). The bigger issue was the seas, which were between 12 and 16ft. It seemed that every other wave would break over the bow and solid water would crash against the house, with spray (quickly turning into ice) covering the entire length of the ship. The Ice completely encased our stack closing off our air intakes for the main engines. About 4 hours out of Angoon, the mains began overheating and we decided that we couldn't make it to Juneau. Shortly after that time one of our RADAR's stopped working and the GPS' stopped receiving signals. The Ice had covered the antennas to a thickness between 4 and 6 inches. We decided to head for our terminal in Hoonah as it was a sheltered port that we were familiar with. We had only one operating GPS whose antenna had been sheltered by the foremast. We used that feed to chart plot our position and made it to Hoonah in about 2 hours. By the time we got to Hoonah, neither of our RADAR's were operational, as well as most of the other electronics on the bridge. It took 2 days for our crew to clear enough ice off our lifeboats and life rafts so they could be launched if needed. We also cleared the antennas for the RADAR's, radios and GPS'. Eventually the Coast Guard gave us permission to sail for Juneau (only during daylight hours) and we left Monday midday, arriving at our Auke Bay terminal around 1530. When we sailed all equipment was in good working order with the exception of one RADAR. The ice had built up so thick, and the antenna froze so solid, that the antenna's motor and gearbox completely fried. A technician flew up from Seattle with replacement parts that night, and the RADAR was ready by the time we sailed on our scheduled run to Haines Tuesday morning. This may sound amazing, but what is truly amazing to my was the actions of our crew members. Three guys went up onto the housetop to try and break ice off the air intakes while we were still slugging through it. Other crew members made sure passengers were as comfortable as could be, and our Captain never let a worry line cross his face. I am truly honored to work with every one of them. ~LeConte Also, on Sunday evening, the Chief Mate was able to work our stability calculations. At that time (after chipping and chucking ice over the side for a day) we still had about 60 tons (yes TONS) of Ice aboard! We still have quite a bit of ice coating the ship.
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Post by Scott on Mar 2, 2008 0:00:29 GMT -8
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Quatchi
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Engineering Officer - CCG
Posts: 930
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Post by Quatchi on Mar 2, 2008 0:09:57 GMT -8
It seems the first on is a government site (.ak.us) and the other is a standard .com.
Kind of like canada's .gov
Cheers,
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 2, 2008 8:13:08 GMT -8
The 2nd website is from the Agent-company who sells the tickets. I suspect that the Alaska DOT contracted-out the ticket-selling to an agent company, instead of doing it in-house.
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Post by SS San Mateo on Mar 2, 2008 17:47:53 GMT -8
Head of Alaska's state ferry system resignsseattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004250213_alaskaferry29m.htmlBy The Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska — The head of the Alaska state ferry system has resigned, but says his departure has nothing to do with a decision to cut service to Bellingham. Dennis Hardy, the Transportation Department deputy commissioner for the Alaska Marine Highway system, said Wednesday he was resigning for personal reasons. Hardy was responsible for the plan to cut summer ferry service from Bellingham through Alaska's Inside Passage to one trip per week. The decision was strongly criticized in southern Panhandle communities that look to ferry traffic for tourism. Critics also blasted ferry officials for not completing a summer schedule until Jan. 30. In past years, the schedule has been out before the end of the year. Elected officials and business representatives in southeast Alaska said the delay hampered trip planning and may have cost Alaska visitors. Among Hardy's critics was state Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau. Elton said Wednesday that Hardy's departure would give the ferry system a chance for a new start. "I think he's smart. He's a good person who wants to do well, but was just put in the wrong job," Elton said. Hardy had little marine experience when he was appointed. He was previously a civil engineer in Anchorage. Hardy said ferry staff did such a good job that the lack of marine experience was not a problem. "I know that was a concern of people, and I did have a coming-up-to-speed curve," he said. The system is operated day to day by the general manager, John Falvey, whom Hardy said "did a great job of helping me through that learning curve." Hardy said removing the ferry Malaspina from the Bellingham run, where it ran at 60 percent to 70 percent capacity, would save millions of dollars in operating costs. He said Marine Highway officials believe overflow traffic during the peak months of June and July will elect to travel into Alaska through Prince Rupert. The ferry system intends to focus marketing efforts on Prince Rupert in the near and long term, he said. The Malaspina was switched to Lynn Canal, where it will increase service between Juneau, Skagway and Haines. Juneau's Cathie Roemmich, chairwoman of the Marine Transportation Advisory Committee, said she was disappointed to see Hardy go. It was not Hardy's fault the schedules were late, she said, and he worked hard to meet publication deadlines. She also praised the schedule. "It's one of the better schedules we've ever had with what we've had to work with," she said. Hardy was responsible for 11 ferries serving 32 ports from Bellingham to Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands. Hardy will remain with the department until May 16. Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
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Post by Low Light Mike on Mar 2, 2008 20:41:22 GMT -8
Here's a 9-minute YouTube.com video, of a trip on MV Malaspina. Some of the camera-work is a bit shaky, but it give you an idea of the interior layout and decor of the ship.
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Post by SS Shasta on Mar 5, 2008 16:47:15 GMT -8
Head of Alaska's state ferry system resignsseattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004250213_alaskaferry29m.htmlBy The Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska — The head of the Alaska state ferry system has resigned, but says his departure has nothing to do with a decision to cut service to Bellingham. Dennis Hardy, the Transportation Department deputy commissioner for the Alaska Marine Highway system, said Wednesday he was resigning for personal reasons. Hardy was responsible for the plan to cut summer ferry service from Bellingham through Alaska's Inside Passage to one trip per week. The decision was strongly criticized in southern Panhandle communities that look to ferry traffic for tourism. Critics also blasted ferry officials for not completing a summer schedule until Jan. 30. In past years, the schedule has been out before the end of the year. Elected officials and business representatives in southeast Alaska said the delay hampered trip planning and may have cost Alaska visitors. Among Hardy's critics was state Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau. Elton said Wednesday that Hardy's departure would give the ferry system a chance for a new start. "I think he's smart. He's a good person who wants to do well, but was just put in the wrong job," Elton said. Hardy had little marine experience when he was appointed. He was previously a civil engineer in Anchorage. Hardy said ferry staff did such a good job that the lack of marine experience was not a problem. "I know that was a concern of people, and I did have a coming-up-to-speed curve," he said. The system is operated day to day by the general manager, John Falvey, whom Hardy said "did a great job of helping me through that learning curve." Hardy said removing the ferry Malaspina from the Bellingham run, where it ran at 60 percent to 70 percent capacity, would save millions of dollars in operating costs. He said Marine Highway officials believe overflow traffic during the peak months of June and July will elect to travel into Alaska through Prince Rupert. The ferry system intends to focus marketing efforts on Prince Rupert in the near and long term, he said. The Malaspina was switched to Lynn Canal, where it will increase service between Juneau, Skagway and Haines. Juneau's Cathie Roemmich, chairwoman of the Marine Transportation Advisory Committee, said she was disappointed to see Hardy go. It was not Hardy's fault the schedules were late, she said, and he worked hard to meet publication deadlines. She also praised the schedule. "It's one of the better schedules we've ever had with what we've had to work with," she said. Hardy was responsible for 11 ferries serving 32 ports from Bellingham to Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands. Hardy will remain with the department until May 16. Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company This is a polite, politically correct way to get rid of a bureaucrat with no sea or ship maintenance experience. With lots of State Legislators angry with the shift of MV Malaspina off the Bellingham route, something was going to give. Hopefully (wishful thinking) someone will be hired with some solid experience working on ships. UPDATE: 6 MARCH The Alaska State House has just approved a motion to eliminate funding for this position. They believe the position is a unnecessary political appointment.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Apr 18, 2008 3:26:57 GMT -8
Jim Beedle named Deputy Commissioner for the Alaska Marine Highway System
(JUNEAU, Alaska) – Transportation and Public Facilities Commissioner Leo von Scheben today announced the appointment of Jim Beedle as Deputy Commissioner for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS).
Beedle has worked at AMHS since 1975 in numerous positions from steward to chief purser to operations manager and special assistant. He has worked on every ferry in the system’s fleet between Southeast and Southwest Alaska. As a chief purser for more than 17 years, Beedle spent 10 years aboard the motor vessel LeConte in Southeast Alaska. He also worked as the lead teacher for the Junior Assistant Purser training class and received the AMHS Outstanding Employee award for the purser/steward department in 2003.
“It is important to have someone in this position with a strong background and knowledge of AMHS,” said Commissioner von Scheben. “Jim’s broad experience gives him knowledge of virtually all aspects of AMHS operations, from shipment of commercial cargo to passengers and vehicles. He knows many of our customers and is familiar with their needs.”
Beedle, a Juneau resident, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. He will assume his new position May 16.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Apr 18, 2008 3:35:51 GMT -8
The 2nd website is from the Agent-company who sells the tickets. I suspect that the Alaska DOT contracted-out the ticket-selling to an agent company, instead of doing it in-house. The akferry.com site has nothing to do with official AMHS site. They will take your monies and then make a reservation for you with AMHS, with a fee. I have heard that they are good for sorting out more "adventurous" trips. Example: If you wanted to get on in Bellingham, and then get off in Ketchikan for two days, then get on another ferry and get off in Sitka for a few days, then go to Juneau. They will do all the research and help you plan your trip. I personally have never dealt with the akferry.com people. You can still buy your tickets through the reservations section of the Official AMHS website. That site can be accessed by either the www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs link or the easier to remember ferryalaska.com site (they take you to the same place).
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M/V LeConte
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~ I believe in Ferries! ~
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Post by M/V LeConte on Nov 9, 2008 14:38:18 GMT -8
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Post by EGfleet on Nov 21, 2008 8:10:28 GMT -8
Electrical problem shuts down State Ferry Aurora during cross-Sound trip By Rob Cone-Clark Turnagain Times Correspondent
Turnagain Times, AK
The Alaska Marine Highway Ferry Aurora was taken out of service the first week of November after experiencing an electrical problem while crossing Prince William Sound. The trouble occurred Friday, Nov. 7 approximately 45 miles into the 90-mile Whittier to Cordova route with 56 people and 23 vehicles on board.
The State Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Chief Communications Officer Roger Wetherell said the problem was with the number two generator, causing the emergency generator to kick in. He said the propulsion system was not affected, but the 31-year-old ship did black out. The ship underwent repairs and is now fixed.
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Valdez received a radio contact with the injured ship at 3p.m.
“The ferry was allowed to continue to Cordova,” said Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Levi Read, and it dropped off all of its passengers.”
Early Saturday morning the Aurora left Cordova for Whittier, with no passengers. Once in Whittier, the Aurora was repaired and the on-scene class surveyor verified and tested the Aurora for proper repairs. The surveyor then reported to the Coast Guard that the State Ferry Aurora was repaired properly and was safe to carry passengers again. The ferry was allowed to continue operations at 6:45 p.m. Sunday.
Whittier Ferry Terminal Manager Mary Brenneman said the Port of Whittier is the preferred port for the areas ferries to conduct repairs.
“We are closer to the airport and closer to Anchorage than any of the other Marine Highway communities,” she said.
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Dec 3, 2008 1:45:21 GMT -8
State launches new AMHS Web siteJuneau Empire www.juneauempire.com/stories/120208/reg_362706142.shtmlJUNEAU - The state has launched a revamped Web site for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Officials say the Web site will assist visitors in finding information about the ferries, reservations and communities. One of the new features is a community map page that allows visitors to scroll the mouse over a dot representing a city. Then the site displays that community's population, longitude and latitude and detailed information about it. Also new is a travel quick-search page, which allows users to check departing ports, arriving ports and departure dates. The Web site can be found at www.ferryalaska.com
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Neil
Voyager
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Post by Neil on Dec 4, 2008 14:58:59 GMT -8
Monsieur Le Conte: a couple of questions.
The crewing levels on all the AMH vessels (except for Lituya) seem really high, by BC Ferries standards. The Malaspina is listed as having a crew of 50 for 500 passengers, your boat 24 for 300, the Tustumena 37 for only 174 passengers. Is this because of the length of the routes, or their overnight nature, or does each boat carry two crews, one on duty, the other off?
Also. The Taku, for instance is a bit longer, and just as beamy, as Black Ball's Coho, yet where the Coho carries 100 cars, the Taku's capacity is listed at 69. Most of the other AMH vessels also carry (as listed) less cars than we would expect for vessels of their size. Is the car deck configuration different? I know you don't do bow loading. I imagine that, given the capacities, there are no gallery or platform decks on the AMH vessels?
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M/V LeConte
Chief Steward
~ I believe in Ferries! ~
Posts: 147
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Post by M/V LeConte on Jan 17, 2009 23:48:34 GMT -8
Neil,
Sorry it has taken me soooo long to get back to you on this. I was working, then the holidays hit, then... you get it.
To try and answer your question on our crewing levels, I feel (speaking only on my own views) that the reason our crew levels are so "high" would be due mainly to the route length and overnight nature of (most of) our vessels. We run a two watch schedule, with one watch working 00-06 and 12-18 and the other crew working 06-12 and 18-24.
Here on the LeConte, since we are a day boat now and have had our capacity reduced to 250 passengers we have 16-18 crew, the majority of which only work a day shift.
An example of how the overnight nature of the vessels affects crew levels would be the Malaspina (currently on the Bellingham run). They have a stewards department of 22 people right now performing various duties from cafeteria cashier to room cleaning to bar tending to dish washing. And again they are working a two shift schedule. In the summertime the Malaspina works as a day boat and does not offer rooms to passengers. This cuts the crew level down a bit.
So the basic answer to your questions would be "yes". All those factors probably affect our crew levels. Also, we do not see them as being high crew levels, it is just what we have.
In regards to the second half of your questions. I am a bad person to try and compare the Taku with the Coho. I have been a passenger on the Taku once, and I have never even seen the Coho. Looking at the Coho's website I can't even find any images of their car deck. (I seem to be having troubles in their picture gallery) On the Taku there is just the main car deck, only the Columbia has an upper car deck space. Forward of the car doors is very little space for traffic. That space is mainly occupied with a storeroom, machine shop and dumpster storage. The space in between the doors is called the "square" and that space is usually not figured in as part of the available space. however if we need it we will use it. From the square aft are three lanes on each side (6 total) of the center "island" which has access to the upper decks, crew quarters, machine spaces etc...
For example, I was just looking at the profile for the LeConte on the AMHS website and it looks like that info will give you a basic feeling for the ships but there some discrepancies. Our service speed is higher than 14.5 kts, we carry a crew of about 17, we are limited to 250 passengers, etc... It shows our vehicle capacity as 34, and I have personally seen us get 46 aboard. You couldn't walk in between vehicle bumpers, but everyone made it aboard!
Finally, my little disclaimer: I am but a simple sailor. I do not speak on behalf of our office, or those who decide (and negotiate) our crewing levels. All I have said is my opinion as to why things are they way they are. I hope I have helped or at least guided you more in the right direction. Thanks for the question, again I hope I didn't confuse you any more.
~LeC
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Post by SS San Mateo on Jan 18, 2009 0:38:32 GMT -8
From the square aft are three lanes on each side (6 total) of the center "island" which has access to the upper decks, crew quarters, machine spaces etc... That would explain the difference in the car capacity between the Taku and the Coho. The Coho has 4 lanes on each side (8 total) of the center island. Some pictures of the car deck of the Coho can be found here... ferriesbc.proboards20.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=nwf&thread=2284&page=1
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Post by Kahloke on Jan 18, 2009 0:59:08 GMT -8
I also have some pictures of Coho. Click on my Pbase link below my signature and navigate to my Blackball Ferries page.
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M/V LeConte
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Post by M/V LeConte on Jan 19, 2009 0:44:45 GMT -8
Thanks for the great photo links! She appears to be a very clean and well maintained vessel. It is neat to see the similarities as well as the differences between her and our ships. You just gotta love the look of a Spaulding design!
From a couple of the photos it looks like her bow has a lot of room for vehicles. That could be where some of the discrepancy is. Also in the one shot the area in between the car doors was packed.
Thanks again for sharing.
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WettCoast
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Post by WettCoast on Jan 19, 2009 19:14:38 GMT -8
The following is qoted from thde US Ferries photo thread: ferriesbc.proboards20.com/index.cgi?board=nwf&action=display&thread=2036&page=11start at reply 268Jim: I'm curious as to what the car deck configuration is on the Kennicott that only allows her to take 80 cars. She's several feet wider than our Vs, and only forty feet shorter, so why such a small capacity? I've also always wondered why AMH's ships were designed to be relatively slow. The service speed for all their large vessels is less than 17 knots; all BC Ferries' original nine major vessels were 18 knots, and of course, 20 and up seems to be the norm now. Alaska's vessels do more long haul runs, where speed is even more of a factor than on our shorter routes. The Tustumena does the multi day run out to the Aleutians at a pokey 13.5 knots. I realize a couple of extra knots can spike the fuel consumption, so perhaps that was a factor in the design. I think that the capacity thing is due to a number of factors, one being that AMHS is possibly more conservative in their capacity listings. Another factor would be the car deck configuration - some car stowage area is lost in the bow, and at the stern in the area of the auxiliary ramp / elevator equipment. Another factor I am certain of is lane width. On the Taku there are three lanes on either side of the central machinery casing. The lanes are spacious. The available width is similar to that on the Sidney/Tsawwassen where there are four lanes on each side. As for the speed thing - again, a combination of factors, with AMHS being more conservative both in what they report and in how they operate. The 'blue canoes' are about the same age as our V's. Our boats are worn out (we are told) and ready for the scrap heap. Meanwhile Alaska's are still going strong. It seams that they have no immediate plans to replace their 45 year old boats. Perhaps, by being more gentle with the equipment they will last longer? Also, AMHS has sunk a lot of money recently into 'fast ferries', just like us. While theirs are still running, I understand that they have been less then successful, and their days may be numbered. Someone such as our Ketchikan correspondent (Shasta) may be able to tell us more on this. BTW, I did have my trusty GPS with me, while traveling south on the Kennicott. I used it for about a third of the trip. During that time speeds ranged from about 11 to 18 knots. Generally speeds were 16 to 18 knots in unrestricted waters, and much slower in narrow spots such as the Tongass Narrows leading into Ketchican, and the narrow passageways en route to Sitka. M/V Taku car deck - 3 lanes aside JST photo ©M/V LeConte, your explanation re auto capacities on the AMHS vessels is, I think, pretty much in line with what I had speculated last summer. Neil also asked about operating speeds on the AMHS vessels and I speculated again as is written above. Lastly, I mentioned briefly the AMHS experience with fast ferries. It would be interesting to get your insider feedback on these subjects.
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