Discussion of potential new service.

[Name Omitted]

Not necessarily likely, but it's always fun to speculate, especially with ice receding up north, eh?  I could start this discussion with a pipe dream of running a hovercraft up and down the Yukon, but I think I'll stick with other people's dreams.

Adak Builds Case for Ferry Service, 500 miles beyond the current reach of the AMHS reach of the AMHS when the Tusty is in the water.  That would be, what, 3 days round trip from Unalaska?

[Name Omitted]

Expansion into Bristol Bay is briefly mentioned, almost in passing, in the Southwest Alaska Transportation Plan section 8, reprinted below for ease of locating;

8.6 Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) and Other Marine Concerns and Issues

The important role of AMHS in transporting people and goods from Southwest Alaska to the Alaska road system and its impact on daily life was recognized in the input received. AMHS issues identified through interviews and project team research have been grouped into
several primary categories and described below.

8.6.1 Bristol Bay Ferry Service Request

During public meetings in the Naknek area in fall 2011, residents requested the addition of ferry service in Bristol Bay, to link with the Motor Vessel (M/V) Tustumena stop at False Pass, or alternatively, at Cold Bay. Support was also expressed for a link to the ferry system at Chignik through an overland connection. During the summer months, the population along the shore of Bristol Bay swells in every community. Because no roads connect the Bristol Bay communities or join them to the continental Alaska road system, residents typically buy goods and materials in Seattle and have them barged directly to Naknek. Those same goods and materials could be purchased in Alaska and arrive by ferry.

8.6.2 M/V Tustumena Maintenance or Replacement

The M/V Tustumena was delivered to the State of Alaska on June 1, 1964. The vessel was  lengthened by almost 55 feet in 1969. The M/V Kennicott was delivered in 1998. The cost of operating a ferry during any fiscal year is a function of the number of days the vessel  is in service and the route on which it is operating. Similarly, the revenue that any ferry can earn is dependent on vessel capacity and on operating days and routes, some routes being more
lucrative than others. Annual costs include not only fuel, general marine supplies, and wages, but also maintenance and repair. After tallying costs and revenues, in FY 2011, M/V Tustumena earned 33% of operating cost and M/V Kennicott earned 40% of operating cost.

The M/V Tustumena turned 48 years old in 2012. Although there is no theoretical limit to how long a ship can continue to operate, maintenance and repair costs are likely to creep upward each year. Regulatory or technical obsolescence, however, is more often the ultimate driver for replacement. The M/V Kennicott was the first ocean-going passenger ship built in the United States since the SS United States in 1954. The M/V Tustumena replacement would be the second. Whether the shipyard capability will exist in the United States at the time a replacement is required is questionable. Meanwhile, the M/V Tustumena should be able to continue toIf the M/V Tustumena is to be replaced, the size and configuration of the new vessel must be determined. Southwest Alaska residents feel the size and configuration of the M/V Tustumena is sufficient for their needs and can be accommodated in their harbors.

In the event that the M/V Tustumena or a similarly designed vessel is unable to continue to serve the smaller ports west of Kodiak, the M/V Kennicott would not be able to provide the same level of service unless ports are upgraded. In general, the smaller ports on Kodiak and those to the west have docks that are either too small or are in inadequate condition to moor the M/V Kennicott. Constricted maneuvering room and inadequate water depths may also limit use of the
M/V Kennicott at those locations.

In planning for improvements to the docks for the smaller ports on Kodiak Island and west of the island, the feasibility of making those docks suitable for mooring the M/V Kennicott should be considered.

8.6.3 Service Congestion Points for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS)

During the busiest seasons, travelers between Kodiak and Homer can absorb all space in the M/V Tustumena or M/V Kennicott, preventing travelers to or from more distant ports from getting on board. One solution is to reserve some space in each sailing for passengers who are proceeding to ports farther west or originating from those ports. AMHS routinely reserves some space in Homer-Kodiak sailings to account for those passengers. The downside of this practice is that
some space may go unused on the Homer-Kodiak run if passengers from more distant ports do not use the space reserved for them and AMHS is unable to attract standby traffic to fill the ferry. Anecdotal reports from AMHS indicates that this practice seems to be working satisfactorily.

Another alternative would be to operate a ferry on a dedicated Kodiak-Homer shuttle route. Such a ferry would need to be similar to the M/V Tustumena to be able to operate in the waters between Homer and Kodiak. Given the declining population forecast for Kodiak, this dedicated service may not be economically feasible.

[Low Light Mike]

Aug 22, 2013 18:45:35 GMT -8 Name Omitted said:

Not necessarily likely, but it's always fun to speculate, especially with ice receding up north, eh?  I could start this discussion with a pipe dream of running a hovercraft up and down the Yukon, but I think I'll stick with other people's dreams.

Adak Builds Case for Ferry Service, 500 miles beyond the current reach of the AMHS reach of the AMHS when the Tusty is in the water.  That would be, what, 3 days round trip from Unalaska?

I found Adak on Google-Earth. Wow, that's a long way away from Dutch Harbor. And a really small settlement.

I've been reading about Tristan da Cunha, and that south-Atlantic island and it's own supply challenges reminds me of what Adak experiences.

...although Adak has a harbor with docks. Tristan da Cuhna has only a breakwater to shelter its whaler-boats.