Ferry Field Guide

OVER

50 YEARS

Ferry Field Guide ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

An All-American Road

FERRY FIELD GUIDE

What is the Alaska Marine Highway?

There are many communities in Alaska to which you still cannot get to by car.

They are called “roadless” communities.

One such community is Juneau, the capital of Alaska. You can only get to Juneau by plane or ship. Ferries are ships capable of carrying hundreds of people as well as vehicles and other goods. Not only do ferries provide Alaskans with transportation between these remote communities, but they also provide world travelers an opportunity to experience the beauty of Alaska up-close through its scenery, wildlife and people. The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is the state ferry system that performs this service.

“Before vehicles drove the ALCAN, before airplanes landed at the Ted Stevens International Airport and before communications went wireless on the World Wide Web, only the sea connected Alaska with the known world. Alaska’s history can be told through the stories of the vessels that shipped the people and goods from around the world to carve out the modern state of Alaska from the Last Frontier...”

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—History by Sea: The Ships That Made Alaska

From “Blue Canoe” to 50+ Years of Service In 1951, the territory of Alaska purchased a small ferry business called Chilkoot Motorship Lines from Steve Homer and Ray and Gustav Gelotte. It had just one vessel, the MV Chilkoot, and its service connected the communities of Haines, Juneau, and Skagway. Soon the MV Chilkoot proved to be too small and was replaced by the MV Chilkat, making it the first state-owned ferry. Then, in 1963 the Alaska Marine Highway System was formally established when three new vessels joined the fleet: the MV Malaspina, the MV Taku, and the MV Matanuska. Today’s fleet is comprised of 11 vessels servicing 35 communities located across more than 3,500 miles.

In 2013, the AMHS celebrated 50 years of service with a mission to provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation of people, goods and vehicles among communities in Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48.

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An All-American Road Travel along the marine highway offers many benefits, including scenic, natural, historical, cultural and recreational opportunities. These qualities were recognized by the United States Department of Transportation in 2002, when they designated the AMHS as a National Scenic Byway. In addition to that honor, the most scenic byways are chosen to be All-American Roads. In 2005, the Alaska Marine Highway joined a small and distinguished group of byways when it was recognized as an All-American Road.

Can you think of other roads in Alaska that might also be National Scenic Byways?

Are there any other All-American Roads in Alaska? For a list of all the National Scenic Byways and All-American Roads, visit http://byways.org.

FERRY FIELD GUIDE AL ASK A MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM

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Every Stop is a Cultural Experience The Alaska Marine Highway connects remote coastal communities and provides them with access to the goods and services found in other communities. It also provides travelers with an opportunity to see Alaska through the eyes of the indigenous cultures who call these communities home. One of the 35 communities on the Alaska Marine Highway is Hoonah. There are two ferries that can take you there—the LeConte and the Taku. Located 40 air miles west of Juneau, Hoonah is Alaska’s largest Tlingit community settled by the Huna Indians. About 70 percent of its 850 residents are of Alaska Native heritage. Fishing boats line the harbor, and seafood processing is the major industry. Pleasure fishing in the area is excellent for silver and king salmon, as well as cutthroat, rainbow and Dolly Varden trout. Some people call Hoonah the “little city with a big heart.”

Every community visited by ferries on the Alaska Marine Highway can be researched at http://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/communities.shtml.

Every Stop is A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

the LeConte

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An Exciting Career at Sea Movies show that there is a strong bond between captains and their ships. In the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of the Black Pearl,” Captain Jack Sparrow (played

by Johnny Depp) was determined to regain possession of his lost pirate ship, the Black Pearl. In the film, “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” Captain Jack Aubrey (played by Russell Crowe) led his crew as they chased a French ship during the Napoleonic wars. Their ship, the HMS Surprise, was badly damaged and many of Aubrey’s crew suspected that it was past its prime. However, Captain Aubrey replied, “She has a bluff bow, lovely lines. She’s a fine seabird: weatherly, stiff and fast.”

Even though both films are fictional, they are good dramatizations of the way in which captains are bonded to their ships.

The ferries on the Alaska Marine Highway, however, are operated by real people who love their jobs.

No better example of that is Captain Bob Crowley, who commanded the Tustumena for 36 years before deciding to retire.

A CAREER AT SEA?

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Captain Retiring Michael Armstrong, HomerNews.com, 2012 Coming around Land’s End on the Homer Spit on Tuesday morning, the Tustumena sailed in on a flooding tide, five-foot seas at her stern. She swung hard to port, heeling slightly, as Captain Crowley turned the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry toward the Pioneer Dock before the swift waters swept her up Kachemak Bay. Standing on the fly bridge and looking distinguished in his dress uniform, Crowley

CAPTAIN RETIRING

deftly guided the Trusty Tusty in. With a blast from the ship’s horn, he made his last docking. For captains like Crowley and their crews, maritime careers are very rewarding.

Help Wanted: Ferry Captain Must be able to…

• Set the course and speed • Steer huge vessels • Use equipment such as depth finders and radar • G ather information from lighthouses, buoys and lights • D etermine the ship’s position using navigational aids, charts and observations • Direct the crew • Operate the engines

Help Wanted:

FERRY CAPTAIN

• Signal to other vessels • Enforce procedures and safety practices • C heck that machinery and equipment are in working order • Keep logs and records • Oversee the loading and unloading of passengers or cargo • Greet passengers • Interview, hire and instruct new staff

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