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MV Taku
May 13, 2015 18:57:06 GMT -8
Post by northwesterner on May 13, 2015 18:57:06 GMT -8
Taku will be spending her summer in refit. Yes, from July-September. HEREThis is no way to run a railroad... I don't even know where to start.
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MV Taku
May 28, 2015 16:56:49 GMT -8
Post by Name Omitted on May 28, 2015 16:56:49 GMT -8
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Post by Name Omitted on Jul 7, 2015 6:56:16 GMT -8
Link also posted on main Alaska thread: Budget Cuts Sideline 3 of Alaska’s 11 FerriesAlthough Taku is not the primary focus of this article, there are plenty of tea leaves to read regarding her. According to the article; - MV Taku is out for the entirety of the fiscal year.
- Communities too small to be served by the other mainliners will not have service at all for a month (presumably when Le Conte is up for service)
- The Taku will be probably first to go of the Three Sisters. This puts her retirement at 2018, when the second Alaska Class Ferry is delivered.
It is worth noting that if she is the first of the three to go, it removes mainline service from several communities where the Taku is the only vessel with cabins small enough to dock. However, Taku would be replaced by 2 Alaska Class Ferries, one of which could support Le Conte, providing perhaps better service reliability, if not better service.
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MV Taku
Oct 13, 2015 16:40:10 GMT -8
Post by Name Omitted on Oct 13, 2015 16:40:10 GMT -8
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MV Taku
Oct 13, 2015 16:46:20 GMT -8
Post by Low Light Mike on Oct 13, 2015 16:46:20 GMT -8
Here's the cut/paste of the story thank Kevin posted above: ========================================= Here's a story from Juneau Empire: From HERE
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 13, 2015 16:49:23 GMT -8
Is TAKU is surplus vessel to be sold? Here's a story from Juneau Empire: From HEREFiji? Can you say LP IV?
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Oct 14, 2015 20:21:49 GMT -8
Seems to me that a chronic problem with AMHS vessels is that they really don't carry a lot of revenue customers for their size and staffing. I realize this is partly a reality given the distances the AMHS routes cover... but I wonder if a different operating model and design might have produced less expense, and given the current government mindset, more sustainability.
Taku is about the same size as the Sidney/Tsawwassen/Coho, yet carries only 70 cars and 350 passengers, with a crew complement of 44. That's a very expensive boat to operate. Columbia and Kennicott were built only 59' wide, limiting vehicle capacity. None of the AMHS vessel has a service speed faster than 17.3 knots, which might help fuel economy, but makes long routes even longer.
The new Alaska class (gee, how'd they ever think that name up?) boats will hopefully have a better ratio of size/capacity/crew, because one could argue that that has been a long time problem for our neighbours to the north.
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Post by Name Omitted on Oct 14, 2015 20:48:38 GMT -8
Put in a different light, in the winter they often don't actually fill the car decks. They still need the size to deal with the weather, but a wider beam pushes more water, and more room in the car deck only matters if the car deck is full. As for speed, when we were discussing the various plans for the ACF, I ran across the following: It was from the Draft Design Concept Report for the Day Boat ACF, which I linked in a previous post in that thread. Unfortunately the link no longer works, and I don't have time to go searching to find it for here, but the point remains that a 12% increase in speed doubled the powerhouse requirements for the vessel. Given the lengthen of the runs that AMHS does, I don't think they would save much in crewing or ship utilization compared to the increase in fuel consumption.
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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Post by Neil on Oct 14, 2015 21:45:47 GMT -8
Put in a different light, in the winter they often don't actually fill the car decks. They still need the size to deal with the weather, but a wider beam pushes more water, and more room in the car deck only matters if the car deck is full. As for speed, when we were discussing the various plans for the ACF, I ran across the following: It was from the Draft Design Concept Report for the Day Boat ACF, which I linked in a previous post in that thread. Unfortunately the link no longer works, and I don't have time to go searching to find it for here, but the point remains that a 12% increase in speed doubled the powerhouse requirements for the vessel. Given the lengthen of the runs that AMHS does, I don't think they would save much in crewing or ship utilization compared to the increase in fuel consumption. I appreciate the input of someone who has more insight than my admittedly layman, south coast Canadian perspective. Alaskans have long dealt with transportation issues that us more urban/coastal folks don't have to wrestle with.
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Post by Name Omitted on Oct 15, 2015 5:55:31 GMT -8
I appreciate the input of someone who has more insight than my admittedly layman, south coast Canadian perspective. Alaskans have long dealt with transportation issues that us more urban/coastal folks don't have to wrestle with. Thank you for your kind words. I don't know that I have any greater insight, just perhaps a greater motivation to keep up with the AMHS than others on the board for whom the Alaskan ferries are not a part of the fabric of day to day life. The citation for yesterday's post is the Draft Design Concept Report for the Day Boat ACF prepared by Coastwise Corporation, the specific discussion is found on page 7.
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MV Taku
Jun 23, 2016 6:02:52 GMT -8
Post by EGfleet on Jun 23, 2016 6:02:52 GMT -8
Alaska ferry system looking into selling the TakuPosted: June 22, 2016 - 12:39pm KETCHIKAN DAILY NEWS KETCHIKAN — The Alaska Marine Highway System is exploring the sale of the state ferry Taku.“We are looking into retiring the Taku and divesting of it,” said Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman Jeremy Woodrow. “It’s not a quick decision.” It’s still early days in the process, and there’s no timeline for a sale, he said, but noted that “it’s highly likely that that will be where we’re going as a state.” The state needs to determine whether it would owe any of the cash from a sale to the federal government because of Federal Highways Administration funding that has been used to maintain the vessel. It costs approximately $3 million per year in crew, insurance and generator fuel to keep the Taku moored at the state-owned south berth at the Ketchikan Shipyard. The Taku also serves as a “hotel ship” for the system. Employees who are temporarily in Ketchikan are staying aboard the vessel rather than in hotel rooms. Woodrow said the ferry system’s plan “has always been to retire a mainline vessel when those (Alaska Class Ferries) come online.” The two ferries being constructed at the shipyard will be finished in 2018. The Taku is one of the three ships built when the Alaska Marine Highway System was created in the 1960s. Since then, its fleet has grown to 11 ships. The vessel isn’t scheduled to be replaced. The next state ferry due to be retired is the Tustumena, which sails the Aleutian Chain. The Tustumena replacement will cost approximately $230 million, according to Woodrow, and will be a federally funded project. juneauempire.com/local/2016-06-22/alaska-ferry-system-looking-selling-taku
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Post by EGfleet on Nov 26, 2016 11:22:36 GMT -8
Alaska to sell or scrap ferry Taku Posted: Friday, November 25, 2016 6:27 pm | Updated: 7:02 pm, Fri Nov 25, 2016. Associated Press | 0 comments JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Marine Highway System is moving forward with plans to get rid of the ferry Taku, but it is still undecided about what to do with the sidelined ship Chenega. Taku, which is more than 50 years old, has been laid up for more than a year. The Marine Transportation Advisory Board discussed plans Monday to sell or scrap the 350-pound vessel, CoastAlaska reported (http://bit.ly/2gihm81). Taku has been appraised for sale as a working vessel and for scrap metal, but officials have not released those figures. Marine highway chief Mike Neussl said the agency has received approval from the Federal Highway Administration on its next steps for Taku. State officials are now working "on the actual procedures necessary to declare that vessel excess and dispose of it through the proper channels, either by sale or scrapping the vessel," Neussl said. As for Chenega, Neussl said the vessel's future remains undetermined. It was overhauled in Seattle earlier this year and has been tied up in a Tacoma, Washington shipyard since this fall. The price tag for getting the ferry back in service is about $1 million and it still needs some work done. "As every day goes by, additional licenses and certificates expire that will need to be updated as part of the process of bringing it back online," Neussl said. The Chenega is one of Alaska's fast ferries and has significantly cut travel time for riders, but the vessel has come at a higher per-hour operating cost than conventional ferries. Neussl said one way to reduce costs is to reduce the size of the system's fleet. State budget cuts have resulted in a schedule that doesn't require all 11 ferries to be in operation, he said. The state spends about $500,000 annually tying up Taku and Chenega.www.lebanondailyrecord.com/article_fdff3afd-7a6a-55d0-be9f-3406260b2bd0.html
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MV Taku
Nov 26, 2016 13:45:23 GMT -8
Post by Low Light Mike on Nov 26, 2016 13:45:23 GMT -8
Alaska to sell or scrap ferry Taku Posted: Friday, November 25, 2016 6:27 pm | Updated: 7:02 pm, Fri Nov 25, 2016. Associated Press | 0 comments JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Marine Highway System is moving forward with plans to get rid of the ferry Taku, but it is still undecided about what to do with the sidelined ship Chenega. Thanks for this latest bit of sad news.
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Post by Name Omitted on Feb 1, 2017 7:19:14 GMT -8
Taku going through the state surplus process, which means if there is a municipality or borough who wants her, she's up for grabs. Who wants the state ferry Taku?
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,171
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MV Taku
Feb 1, 2017 21:09:38 GMT -8
Post by Neil on Feb 1, 2017 21:09:38 GMT -8
Taku going through the state surplus process, which means if there is a municipality or borough who wants her, she's up for grabs. Who wants the state ferry Taku?I'm assuming this is just part of the legal process of getting rid of the ship. I mean... what local authority in Alaska could possibly operate the Taku as a passenger vessel? Seems odd to even pretend that this was possible.
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Post by westernflyer on Feb 2, 2017 1:37:32 GMT -8
Taku going through the state surplus process, which means if there is a municipality or borough who wants her, she's up for grabs. Who wants the state ferry Taku?I'm assuming this is just part of the legal process of getting rid of the ship. I mean... what local authority in Alaska could possibly operate the Taku as a passenger vessel? Seems odd to even pretend that this was possible. I believe the same thing happened with the Susitna a while back. There's a State of Alaska Property Control Handbook which outlines the "excess property reutilization" process. If I'm reading it correctly the Property Management Office can decide whether to offer the surplus property for transfer to another government agency or sell it but according to the handbook "The reuse of excess property by other State Agencies is the PMO's highest priority".
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Post by Name Omitted on Mar 11, 2017 7:29:29 GMT -8
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Post by Starsteward on Mar 11, 2017 9:41:08 GMT -8
I think $1.5 million USD is a bit 'top-heavy' The Queen of Burnaby sold recently for considerably less. Hopefully the seller will provide any potential buyer a list of accidents the vessel has incurred, just as buyers of used cars expect from a seller. Note to seller: If you require additional photos of the an incident that occurred July 29, 1970 please let me know as I have some great 'on the spot' photos I can provide.
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Post by Name Omitted on Mar 15, 2017 12:55:30 GMT -8
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MV Taku
Jun 12, 2017 8:28:33 GMT -8
Post by WettCoast on Jun 12, 2017 8:28:33 GMT -8
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Post by EGfleet on Sept 19, 2017 12:52:08 GMT -8
Portland Man Wins Bid for Alaska Ferry; Plans Boat Hotel JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The winning bidder for Alaska's ferry Taku wants to turn the 352-foot (107-meter) vessel into a waterfront hotel and restaurant in Oregon.
Portland resident Jonathan Cohen's $300,000 bid on Friday was six times higher than the next bid, The Juneau Empire reported (http://bit.ly/2xtSKoB). Cohen represents a group of Portland investors who want to make the mothballed ferry a floating hotel at a pier in northwest Portland.
"Our hope is to bring it to Portland, Oregon, where we're based and to use it as a way to give this very historic vessel a second life," Cohen said.
The Taku would be home to hostel-style accommodations as well as individual rooms, with the surrounding pier being a terminal for river-related activities, he said.
"We're not looking to offer high-end hotel rooms," Cohen said. "We're actually looking to make these the least-expensive hotel rooms in town."
The Taku's open car deck might be converted into a space for a farmers' market or small businesses, he said. The lounges could become spaces for "digital nomads" who need working room.
"Everyone has just been so positive about this boat, and I think it just has such a wonderful energy about it, and we want to keep that going," he said.
The Alaska Department of Transportation entertained three offers — all below its reserve price of $350,000. The state agency announced Tuesday it had accepted the bid from the Portland group, KeyMar LLC.
The state of Alaska will keep about $500,000 worth of lifesaving and other equipment from the Taku for use in its new Alaska Class ferries and other vessels.
"With the value of the equipment the state has already removed from the ship, we can confidently say this offer was the best value possible," Alaska Marine Highway System General Manager John Falvey said in a statement. "We're happy to have a viable sale and to see the vessel take on a new life down in Portland."
The ferry was built in 1963 and was part of the Alaska state ferry system for over 50 years. It was taken out of service June 23, 2015, and is now moored in Ketchikan. A closing date for the sale hasn't yet been set.
The No. 2 bid, of $50,400, came from Ben Evans of New Zealand. Evans is a buyer for Jabal Al Lawz Trading Est. of Dubai, which scraps ships in India.
The No. 3 bid, at $50,000, was from Indra Goundar of Vancouver. Subarmani Goundar operates a ferry service in Fiji and said he would operate the Taku alongside the other ships in his four-vessel inter-island ferry operation
www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alaska/articles/2017-09-19/portland-man-with-high-bid-for-alaska-ferry-plans-boat-hotel
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MV Taku
Sept 20, 2017 5:38:38 GMT -8
Post by Name Omitted on Sept 20, 2017 5:38:38 GMT -8
This is fantastic.
It's also telling that the Fiji option was outbid by the scrappers.
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MV Taku
Sept 20, 2017 5:41:54 GMT -8
Post by Starsteward on Sept 20, 2017 5:41:54 GMT -8
Portland Man Wins Bid for Alaska Ferry; Plans Boat Hotel JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The winning bidder for Alaska's ferry Taku wants to turn the 352-foot (107-meter) vessel into a waterfront hotel and restaurant in Oregon.
Portland resident Jonathan Cohen's $300,000 bid on Friday was six times higher than the next bid, The Juneau Empire reported (http://bit.ly/2xtSKoB). Cohen represents a group of Portland investors who want to make the mothballed ferry a floating hotel at a pier in northwest Portland.
"Our hope is to bring it to Portland, Oregon, where we're based and to use it as a way to give this very historic vessel a second life," Cohen said.
The Taku would be home to hostel-style accommodations as well as individual rooms, with the surrounding pier being a terminal for river-related activities, he said.
"We're not looking to offer high-end hotel rooms," Cohen said. "We're actually looking to make these the least-expensive hotel rooms in town."
The Taku's open car deck might be converted into a space for a farmers' market or small businesses, he said. The lounges could become spaces for "digital nomads" who need working room.
"Everyone has just been so positive about this boat, and I think it just has such a wonderful energy about it, and we want to keep that going," he said.
The Alaska Department of Transportation entertained three offers — all below its reserve price of $350,000. The state agency announced Tuesday it had accepted the bid from the Portland group, KeyMar LLC.
The state of Alaska will keep about $500,000 worth of lifesaving and other equipment from the Taku for use in its new Alaska Class ferries and other vessels.
"With the value of the equipment the state has already removed from the ship, we can confidently say this offer was the best value possible," Alaska Marine Highway System General Manager John Falvey said in a statement. "We're happy to have a viable sale and to see the vessel take on a new life down in Portland."
The ferry was built in 1963 and was part of the Alaska state ferry system for over 50 years. It was taken out of service June 23, 2015, and is now moored in Ketchikan. A closing date for the sale hasn't yet been set.
The No. 2 bid, of $50,400, came from Ben Evans of New Zealand. Evans is a buyer for Jabal Al Lawz Trading Est. of Dubai, which scraps ships in India.
The No. 3 bid, at $50,000, was from Indra Goundar of Vancouver. Subarmani Goundar operates a ferry service in Fiji and said he would operate the Taku alongside the other ships in his four-vessel inter-island ferry operation
www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alaska/articles/2017-09-19/portland-man-with-high-bid-for-alaska-ferry-plans-boat-hotel
Good news hearing that the 'Taku' has apparently been saved from the cutters' torch although we will have to wait until the deal is finalized and also maintain a vigilance on whether or not Mr. Cohn's final plans actually come to fruition. After all, we've heard many other such stories about land-based projects for old vessels that have not come to see the light of day. The bid by the 'Goundars' sounds a bit weird. Names and given the condition of the vessel, I'm not convinced that the low-ball offer from 'Goundar' should have been taken very seriously.
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MV Taku
Oct 31, 2017 11:55:00 GMT -8
Post by R30A on Oct 31, 2017 11:55:00 GMT -8
Why would the Goundars not be taken seriously? Considering their history, I'd take them more seriously than damn near anyone else. (And when the time comes, I'd be very unsurprised if the Malaspina and/or Matanuska do end up with them)
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MV Taku
Nov 2, 2017 6:03:07 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Name Omitted on Nov 2, 2017 6:03:07 GMT -8
Why would the Goundars not be taken seriously? Well, if you think you are bidding on a functioning ship, you probably should not be outbid by the breakers. This was not a serious bid, it was a placeholder in case they got lucky and no one else bid. I suspect if they had won, they would be scrambling to figure out what to do next.
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