Derecktor Shipyards held a plate cutting ceremony at its Bridgeport Connecticut facility for the first piece of plate cut for the highspeed ferry M/V Chenega. the ferry. foot high-speed ferries for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Chenega, were City Councilman Gary Graham and Kate Tesar. Bridgeport Port Authority. connecting the ports of Cordova, Valdez, and Whittier. 2004 with the M/V Chenega expected to enter service one year later. with airline-style seating, an available snack bar, and minimal ship motions. will be significantly shorter than what is possible with conventional ferries. these communities. shipbuilding since these will be the first vessels of their kind ever built in this country. designs, developed expressly for the Alaska project.