Smaller ferries set for Haines

The state ferry Malaspina will be replaced by mostly smaller ships next summer as the day boat running between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, according to Capt. George Capacci, general manager of the Alaska Marine Highway System.

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Those planning to take the ferry through Lynn Canal next summer might want to make reservations ahead of time to guarantee themselves a spot on the smaller ships, Capacci said.

"It matches the capacity with the demand we've experienced over the last couple of years," he said.

The 408-foot Malaspina holds 701 passengers and 88 vehicles and often makes its summer runs between Juneau and the northern Lynn Canal communities virtually empty, Capacci said. The Malaspina will be used on other Southeast runs next summer.

Running smaller ships between the three communities will be a better use of state resources, Capacci said, comparing the use of the Malaspina in northern Lynn Canal to landing a 747 jet in Wrangell. He said during the last couple of years the ship has been filled to capacity only on occasions where large groups of people were traveling north for special events such as the Klondike International Road Relay and the Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay.

This coming summer, the Malaspina will be replaced by the 370-passenger capacity state ferry Taku on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, said ferry system Operations Manager Jack Meyers. The Taku holds up to 69 vehicles.

On Mondays the 971-passenger Columbia will make the 7 a.m. run, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the 300-passenger Aurora will make the trip.

The Aurora has the second-smallest vehicle capacity of the marine highway fleet, holding only about 34 cars or trucks.

Michelle Glass, executive director of the Haines Convention and Visitors Bureau, said she does not expect the change to cause capacity problems in Haines.

"The most important thing for us is predictable service," she said.

But Capacci said the size could be a problem for those trying to get a car on the ship without making reservations ahead of time.

Although the new schedule could pose some obstacles for those making last-minute trips, Capacci said the more efficient schedule is part of an overall attempt to run the Alaska Marine Highway System with more of a business savvy.

In addition to trying to match the ships more closely with the number of passengers traveling, AMHS also is making tickets and reservations available on the Internet and working to improve customer service.

The OARS project, or Online AMHS Reservation System, was launched at the beginning of November at www.alaska.gov/ferry. The Web site allows users to search the ferry schedule, choose an itinerary, book it and pay for it online.

Capacci said ferry users already are using the online system, leaving staff taking reservations by phone more readily available to assist customers.

In addition to making improvements to the reservation system, Capacci said, AMHS also has created an incentives program to recognize outstanding ferry employees. AMHS also is providing customer service training for ferry staff and working with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute to teach ferry cooks better ways to prepare seafood, he said.

Timothy Inklebarger can be reached at timothyi@juneauempire.com.