Tag: AMHS
Kennicott Reschedules September and October Stops for Seldovia
by Jenny Chissus
I just received word from the Seldovia City office (thanks to Jen Giles) that the Kennicott is approximately 30 hours behind schedule due to high winds and hazardous seas out by Unalaska.
Please take note of the following changes to the upcoming arrival and departure times for Seldovia.
The scheduled sailing for Saturday, September 28th has been cancelled and rescheduled for Monday, September 30th arriving at 12:45 AM and departing at 2:00 AM.
The scheduled sailing for Saturday, October 5th has also been cancelled and rescheduled for Monday, October 7th arriving at 1:30 PM and departing at 2:45 PM.
The hope is that the Kennicott will be back on her regular schedule by the Saturday, October 12th sailing. Please take note, and be sure to contact the city office or AMHS main office to confirm your sailing date and reservations. Obviously, we will be hoping to see the Tusty back in Seldovia – maybe by the end of October?
Working for Transportation Solutions
In the news…
Our city Manager, Tim Dillon (also chairman of the Alaska Municipal League’s Transportation committee) was quoted in this article in the Homer News, regarding the Tusty’s, once again, delayed return to service for Seldovia.
Please click here or on the image to the left, to go directly to the Homer News and read the entire article about the Assembly meeting concerning coastal community transportation – serious issues that affect our waterfront/off-the-road-system communities.
Thanks Tim for speaking on our behalf and keeping Seldovia’s needs in the forefront of the minds of the state’s decision makers! Since being without the Tustumena since November of 2012, we have truly felt the negative impact of the lack of service to Seldovia. Thankfully, our dock is big enough, and port – deep enough to welcome the Kennicott, or we would have been completely without service like many other communities on the route.
News on the Tustumena
received by the City of Seldovia – September 9
Dear Elected Official,
Work on the Tustumena is continuing at Seward Ship’s Drydock. Replacement of undersize plate is proceeding, along with other welding, painting, insulating, and electrical work. The planned launch date is still September 20, with sea trials and other in-water work to take place the remainder of September and the beginning of October. AMHS is currently in the process of revising online schedules to reflect the Kennicott, in place of the Tustumena, operating in Southwest Alaska from October 1-15. Travelers with existing reservations will be rebooked in the next two days, and online booking of the Kennicott will be available soon after.
Additionally, the department is soliciting proposals from professional naval architect firms for the design of the Tustumena replacement vessel. We should have the design firm beginning preliminary design work later this year and look forward to working with the communities to help us develop the features that meet their needs.
Commissioner Patrick Kemp
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Tusty Delayed Return Continues
Received by the City of Seldovia
Dear Elected Official,
Unfortunately, completion of the Tustumena refurbishment project has suffered another setback. On Friday ultrasonic thickness testing of repairs to the hull identified three areas where the improper thickness of steel plate was installed. Seward Ship and Drydock has the appropriate thickness plate in stock and replacement of the undersized material began over the weekend. This work will push back the launch date to approximately September 20. Based on this new information, the Tustumena will not be in service until mid-October and therefore the Kennicott will remain in southwest Alaska for the first part of October to provide service to Kodiak. The October schedule will be revised accordingly.
Commissioner Patrick Kemp
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Seldovia Time
