MV Columbia returning to service, MV Matanuska not (Kake, Kupreanof: maintenance, ferry)

[AKStafford]

https://www.ktoo.org/2023/01/11/flag...me-since-2019/

Highlights:

Alaska’s flagship ferry Columbia will sail in Southeast communities this spring. Columbia is scheduled to begin sailing Southeast routes on Feb. 13.

That will mean some changes to routes and schedules. For one, the Columbia isn’t certified to serve international ports. That means it won’t be able to stop in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Dapcevich says the smaller Kennicott will take over the Canadian route in May once crews finish scheduled maintenance on the vessel.

The Columbia also isn’t able to dock in the Kupreanof Island community of Kake, so Dapcevich says the Marine Highway is working to add sailings to Kake using the day ferry LeConte.

Dapcevich says the Columbia’s sit-down dining room — one of only two in the state ferry fleet — likely won’t be open, but the grab-and-go cafeteria should be. He says the department hopes to open the ferry’s bar, too, but that’s still up in the air for now.

The department says it hopes to publish the Columbia’s full sailing schedule in the coming days.