The M/V Tazlina docked at Auke Bay near Juneau on Sunday, where it’s tied up next to the broken down M/V Matanuska. It was brought north from the Ketchikan shipyards, where it’s been undergoing refitting so it can service more ports.
The ferry will start back into service on March 5, after it fuels up and gets its quarterly U.S. Coast Guard inspection. The crew also has to perform a number of safety and abandon-ship drills.
The ferry will begin servicing Northern Lynn Canal communities, including Angoon, Hoonah, Haines and Skagway.
[M/V Tazlina schedule can be found here]
Meanwhile, a vessel from Allen Marine in Sitka has been contracted by the State ferry system to provide service to some smaller communities. The M/V Melinda Leigh will next depart Tuesday for a run to Kake, Angoon, and Tenakee.
That run, on a vessel usually used in summers for tours, will cost the State $11,250 per trip. Passengers from Juneau to Tenakee will pay just $56 in fare for the 9-hour voyage to Tenakee. The Melinda Leigh does not carry vehicles.
The contract for the route from Juneau to Sitka will cost the State $10,900.
