Two Alaska Marine Highway System ferries are out of service for the time being due to mechanical issues.
Both the MV Columbia and the fast ferry FVF Fairweather encountered problems, and the Columbia requires drydock for repairs, according to separate AMHS press releases issued Thursday.
Sailings on the Fairweather were cancelled Friday due to an unspecified mechanical issue, one release states. Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman Jeremy Woodrow said in a later email to the Empire that “there were some mechanical issues that required an extra day to resolve before it could sail again.”
Another release says that a recent inspection discovered damage to the Columbia’s starboard propeller. The repair will require the vessel to enter drydock in Portland.
The Columbia will sail a revised scheduled through Tuesday, Sept. 27, then enter drydock for repair. It will resume its published scheduled Wednesday, Oct. 5, departing Ketchikan for Bellingham, Washington.
AMHS staff is contacting passengers who were affected. Service notices may be found at dot.alaska.gov/amhs/service_notices.shtml or by contacting your local terminal by dialing 1-907-465-3941 or toll-free at 1-800-642-0066.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this news brief stated that the Fairweather would require drydock for repairs, and that the Columbia would be drydocked in Ketchikan. “After we sent the first announcement we received word from the Ketchikan shipyard that they had mistakenly double-booked the dry dock and it would not be available in time for the Columbia,” state of Alaska Department of Transportation Jeremony Woodrow said.
