The design concept report for the “day boat” Alaska-class ferry proposed by the state was released Tuesday afternoon by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
The report describes the type of ship being sought by the DOT&PF. Under its specifications, each ferry would have a passenger capacity of up to 300 people and could hold up to 53 cars on its car deck. They would be at least 256.75 feet long at the waterline.
A “Roadmap” vessel design included in the report comes in at 278.5 feet.
According to the report, the total project cost for two Alaska-class ferries would be $107.2 million, with the construction contract for the first ship costing $49.2 million and costing $44.3 million for the second ship.
A short section of the report also deals with a design element that has been the subject of much speculation among watchers of the Alaska Marine Highway System — namely, whether the ferry design will incorporate an open roof.
"One possible construction cost savings measure may be to include a partially open aft roof," the section of the report reads. "A partially open roof above the aft portion of the vehicle space reduces the cost of the vessel superstructure, the bow door, and other equipment associated with ventilating and heating the car deck. The Department will require the vessel design team to investigate a partially open aft roof, enclosed with bulwark walls high enough to safely shield the Car Deck from sea water including spray."
The report describes two routes as being the “first priority” for the ships: a Juneau-Haines round trip and a Haines-Skagway round trip. The first loop would take just under 12 hours, while the latter would take nearly 3.5 hours and could run twice a day.
The principle behind the day boat concept is that ships would operate for no more than 12 hours during the day, thus eliminating the need for overnight accommodations or crew rotations.
Under direction from Gov. Sean Parnell, the DOT&PF pivoted away from a previous concept for one 350-foot Alaska-class ferry in favor of two smaller “shuttle ferries” late last year.
DOT&PF Commissioner Pat Kemp has said he hopes to have the ships built in Ketchikan, with construction beginning as early as next winter.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct the length of the proposed ferry.
Comments (21)
Add commenthilarious
Partially open deck. Priceless! The Governor continues his hot streak of catering to anybody and everybody--except the Alaskan public. Is anybody going to call this guy out?
Drawings
I'd like to see some sketches of the design before commencing to bash it.
Open deck
Hum....who would want salt water spray on their vehicle? Not me!
What?
An open deck?
I've been on the Malaspina in March on the Lynn Canal when we went down into a trough and then up on a wave, shivered, then back down into a trough with freezing spray covering the window on the aft cafeteria.
Open deck? Laughable.
And once again our fascist governor has ignored public input and overridden public process to foul things up.
Isn't there a class action suit here when he does that? Like closing the coastal zone management office?
Summer fun!!!!!
These are just for use on those warm summer days---like those canal barges on the Seine! I can't wait!!
Why a ferry for Lynn Canal
There is a better need for a new ferry for the Southcentral
Portion of the State... The Tustmena is on its last legs...
Before it sinks with people on board I believe that the State
Is ignoring that need which is more of a need than Lynn
Canal... No loss of life...
Bow Doors equals new docks
None of the current ship berths will work with a bow door system. They'll all have to be re-built....why isn't that being included in the "cost-savings" estimate ??
With bow doors, these ships will NOT be able to substitute for other ships/ports which side load. Better standby for worse systematic delays when other ships break down.
Where will the ships be overnighting? The Auke Bay terminal is crowded already.
Eddying winds from the superstructure will bring the spray directly into the open area. This is both heading into, and downwind. The open stern overhead (ceiling) - yes, it will reduce ventilation costs, but the car deck will be COLD - so that the freezing spray will make the decks into a skating rink !! Bring your skates along !!
The system has been successful long-term because of it's flexibility - this new strategy is going to hamstring it. With ships designed for only certain routes - the system's ability to adjust for breakdowns will be severely decreased.
Declining oil revenues, two
Declining oil revenues, two less expensive ferries, more service to residents, Alaskan built. These are reasons to support this project.
Public Involvement
These are all valid concerns about the viability of the proposed ferries and the public process. Please send letters and emails to the governor, legislators and the DOT. There is a lot of complaining about the State ignoring the public. Well, make your voice be heard. Send in your comments, concerns, ideas. These folks in our government are supposed to be working for all of us.
First Priority
Lynn Canal is the "first priority" because it's one of the few possible routes. The original plan for the larger ferry is better because it could go ANYWHERE in any weather. We can afford the larger vessel if we don't adopt Parnell's tax cut for Big Oil.
where the numbers
Show us some history on the daily use numbers that can justify two each 300 passenger capacity ferries. Does the existing traffic come close to 600 passengers a day or 106 vehicles. Will one ferry actually be full every day and the other sit moored?
I'm sure there have been heavy traffic days with big passenger loads. Airlines uses number to determine what traffic the airline can support with a particular aircraft. Alaska Airlines does not use 747s to provide service because the every day demand is not there.
The tourist might be willing to ship their cars on an open deck vessel. The rest of the users, Alaskans, will be very selective about the days they use the open deck ships.
Brain Wizards
This is coming from the same brain wizard (Reuben Yost) who years ago, when speaking in front of the Haines Chamber to push the Juneau Road Project, stated that a tunnel from Katzehin Flats to Battery Point under the Lynn Canal needs to be considered by DOT, because they've done it in England....
I'd rather take my chances flying in the winter than on a 250 ft, open deck boat when it's blowing out of the north at 70 knots... And I hate flying in the winter.
Correct me if I'm wrong but
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the M/V Sustina being off loaded by the State because it's not compatible with the docks in the ports it's supposed to service? How is this situation any different/better?
"Arvin mentioned that the state Department of Transportation, which oversees the Alaska Marine Highway, took a dry run on the Susitna and found it satisfactory but don’t know quite how it would work with the system’s existing infrastructure for loading and offloading cars."
http://juneauempire.com/state/2012-09-06/experimental-ferry-mv-susitna-s...
servicing
northern Lynn Canal with a road, frees up ferrys for other communities & in the long run saves money.
Another Governor Zero FAIL
Stupid, ridiculous.
Who cares if the new ferries are built in Ketchikan, except for the governor who wants political payoffs?
Like the Foulweather, this design is a summer-only boat.
The traffic level is there. The Lynn Canal ferries are full almost every day in the summer, and that run is one of the few that actually makes a profit.
This whole exercise, along with Kemp's hiring, is yet another step in the attempt of the road-only nuts in DOT and the road construction industry to screw up the ferry system in order to promote construction of more roads to nowhere.
This ferry proposal fails in so many ways.
#open car deck
#inadequate capacity for summer travel
#inadequate size and design for severe weather
#12-hour turnaround impossible with typical winter north winds
#Alaskans won't use it
#doesn't meet the needs of AMH overall or Upper Lynn Canal
#DOT still not accepting public comment
#Upper Lynn Canal route is the only route that pays for itself
#tourism depends on mainliners, cabins, food service
#safety for school sports teams depends on mainliners
#untested experiment--been there done that with fast ferries
#when planes don't fly, folks need a reliable ferry, not a shuttle
#fails health and safety and transportation duties of government
#fails public process
#current docks won't handle it
Hosed, you are wrong. The
Hosed, you are wrong. The ferry was built for the MatSu, not for the Alaska Marine Highway system. MatSu is trying to give it away but I don't think DOT wants it.
My apologies, AuroraVista you
My apologies, AuroraVista you are correct. The Mat-Su Borough is trying to sell the MV Sustina, not the State of AK. However, the Mat-Su is trying to get rid of it because there are no existing docks for it, and building them isn't affordable for them. Specifically, my concern is how are these new ferries going to be any different than the MV Sustina situation if they are to be loaded from the front/back when no docks compatible to that type of ferry currently exist? We'll be on the hook to build new docks, which equals more money, and that is cheaper how?
Open aft deck on Shuttle ferry
I suppose the next thing DOT will come up with in order to sell this FUBAR is a discount for your vehicle being parked on the open aft deck, and charge you more for the covered area.
"A partially open roof above
"A partially open roof above the aft portion of the vehicle space reduces the cost of the vessel superstructure, the bow door, and other equipment associated with ventilating and heating the car deck."
Yeah, who needs to heat a car deck that is open to the elements in 5 degree weather, 70 knot winds. Im trying to understand how having an open roof reduces the cost of heating the car deck? In other words, bringing pets on board in the winter and leaving them in the car on the car deck is out of the question.
What we have are short-sighted, and I suspect, ill-motivated people that are trying to convince the public that making something cheaper is better. You get what you pay for. The adults that built the Malaspina when Kemp was young at least had vision and wanted to build a solid, functional ferry, and they did. The Mal just had its 50 yr anniversay and is beyond its life expectancy. The old adage also applies "they dont make them like they used to"....that applies to Kemp and Parnell, they dont have the same chutzpah their predecessors had.
salt spray
Maybe they could just cover the open portion of the car deck with some nice flowered shower curtains, no wait!..some of those cool clear ones with the little fishies on them!