Lynn Canal News

Hubbard, a new ferry built in 2019 for Alaska's Marine Highway System (AMHS), was formally christened this week after a change of plans put the vessel's entry into service on hold.The vessel is the second of two Alaska class ferries designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group and constructed at Vigor Shipyard in Ketchikan, Alaska. Construction of both vessels began in October 2014. The series' first ferry, Tazlina, was christened in 2018, and Hubbard was completed in 2019.Intended to operate as day boats to serve the AMHS Lynn Canal route between Juneau…

MarineNews showcases the ten best of North America’s 2018 workboat deliveries. Domestic shipyard production is robust, innovative and getting greener. And, that translates into two kinds of ‘green.’As the domestic offshore energy support sector slowly awakens, other sectors have been happy to take the spotlight in its absence. As always, and if a hull was delivered in 2018, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For my part, I’m always excited when the U.S. boatbuilding sector can deliver for a foreign buyer. We’ve checked that box here. And, that’s because we can compete on price, quality and when we do…

The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) has awarded the Alaska Class Ferry project to Vigor Alaska shipyard in Ketchikan, Alaska, where construction is currently underway. Providing production design for the ferry is Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy Glosten, who along with Vigor Alaska, are two of Cadmatic’s newest customers in the U.S. Delivering its design in the imperial unit versions of both Cadmatic Hull and Outfitting, Glosten’s production design of the Alaska Class Ferry represents the premiere application of Cadmatic 3D CAD/CAM engineering software in the northern U.S. The 280-foot, 300-passenger, 53-vehicle Alaska Class Ferry will primarily transit the Lynn Canal and shorter AMHS routes in Southeast Alaska.

On June 23, 1995, the cruise ship Star Princess, carrying 1,568 passengers and 639 crew, grounded on charted and marked Poundstone Rock in the Lynn Canal of Alaska. Although there were no deaths or injuries, the ship’s bottom was ripped open. Repairs cost $21.16 million. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause was the pilot’s poor performance, which may have been exacerbated by chronic fatigue caused by sleep apnea. Among other things, the NTSB recommended that the U.S.

Thordon Bearings has received an order to supply its COMPAC system to two Alaska Ferry newbuilds under construction at the Vigor Industrial shipyard in Ketchikan, Alaska. The Canada-based company, a supplier of seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearings, will deliver the Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant (EAL)-compliant COMPAC propeller shaft bearing system for shaft diameters of 267mm. The twin-screw, 280ft long Alaska-class ferries will each have capacity to carry 300 passengers…

Ferries for Alaska’s harsh conditions, built in Alaska by Alaskans. Vigor and Elliott Bay Design Group team up for a winning combination as the new Alaska Class Ferry Project takes shape. With its network of islands and fjords, rugged mountains and spectacular tidewater glaciers, Alaska’s Inside Passage may make a perfect summer cruise destination, but locals can’t choose when they travel. So when Alaskans need transport, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) must find a way to move them.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its full report on the grounding of a passenger vessel at the intersection of Lynn Canal and icy Strait in Southeast Alaska on May 14, 2007.  Factors leading to this casualty included the master’s decision to put an inexperienced third mate on watch without supervision or guidance and poor watchkeeping procedures.  It was noted that the ship’s voyage data recorder (VDR) recorded some, but not all, of the required parameters.  MAR-08/02 (2/4/09). (Source: Holland & Knight)

As part of its continuing investigation into a grounding accident involving the Empress of the North, southwest of Juneau, Alaska, the National Transportation Safety Board will open a public docket and release a factual report on Friday, December 21, 2007, at 11:00 am. On May 14, 2007, about 1:30 pm local time, the passenger vessel Empress of the North grounded on a charted rock at the intersection of Lynn Canal and Icy Straits, about 20 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska, after the vessel failed to negotiate a turn to the west. The vessel was carrying 206 passengers and 75 crewmembers. No injuries resulted from the accident, but the vessel sustained significant damage to its hull and propulsion system. The information being released is factual in nature and does not provide any analysis.

On the morning of June 29, 2003, the general cargo vessel JAMBO grounded off the Summer Islands on the west coast of Scotland. The primary cause of the grounding and subsequent total loss of the ship was that the chief officer on watch fell asleep and missed his intended change of course. He was awakened by the grounding. The root cause of the casualty was extreme fatigue - the result of a long period of standing six-on, six-off watches combined with cargo loading/unloading duties when the ship was in port. Unfortunately, this type casualty is not rare. Marine casualties in U.S. a) Grounding of the passenger car-ferry A. b) Collision between the USS RICHARD L. e) Grounding of the passenger ship STAR PRINCESS on Poundstone Rock, Lynn Canal, Alaska on June 23, 1995.

The National Transportation Safety Board is urging the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to inspect certain lifesaving equipment that might not operate properly when needed. The urgent safety recommendations are the result of information learned by the NTSB during its investigation of the Empress of the North grounding earlier this year. The Board has identified deficiencies in liferaft release units and evacuation slides. The Safety Board regards the issues as serious enough to issue urgent safety recommendations in advance of the final accident report. On May 14, 2007, the passenger vessel Empress of the North grounded at the intersection of Lynn Canal and Icy Straits, about 20 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska, after the vessel failed to negotiate a turn to the west.

The 299-ft. cruise ship Empress of the North ran aground 49 miles west of Juneau near Hanus Reef in Lynn Canal, Alaska this morning (Monday, May 14, 2007)at about 2a.m. local Alaska time. Coast Guard and other Good Samaritan vessels are coordinating efforts to evacuate the 281 passengers on board. No injuries have been reported, and it was reported that all passengers had been safely evacuated and the vessel was headed to Juneau. The weather on scene is calm, according to USCG reports. The Coast Guard is working with other state and federal agencies to ensure the safety of everyone on board and to mitigate any potential environmental damage. The vessel is owned an operated by Majestic America Line of Seattle, WA.

The M/V Taku rescued the crew of a fishing tender after it had run aground on Gull Island in Lynn Canal early Saturday morning, according to the Alaska Marine Highway System. The Taku received a mayday call from the fishing tender Stella, stating the ship was taking on water and the crew was preparing to abandon ship. The Taku was approximately 25 minutes away and responded to the U.S. Coast Guard call for assistance along with the tug Western Mariner. The Taku arrived on scene and launched a lifeboat, which recovered three crewmembers that had been floating in a liferaft. The crewmembers were brought aboard the Taku and given coffee, breakfast and a stateroom. had no injuries, according to the Coast Guard. The lifeboat was secured and the Taku left for Auke Bay.

Juneau, Haines and Skagway, which will continue through mid-April. Fairweather is in Ketchikan for maintenance on its engines. Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. approximately four and a half hours on the fast ferry. Sergius Narrows, some departure and arrival times will vary. provide service to Haines and Skagway. from Juneau to Haines in only two hours and forty-five minutes. between Haines and Skagway. Juneau-Haines roundtrip on Mondays.

The Alaska Marine Highway System will inaugurate its fast vehicle ferry service three days per week between Juneau-Petersburg-Wrangell-Ketchikan on Thursday, November 3. The M/V Fairweather will depart Juneau at 8 a.m. on each of its runs and the M/V Chenega will depart Ketchikan at 7:15 a.m. on two of its service days, and 8:15 a.m. on the third. The ferries will meet in Petersburg to trade passengers and vehicles at mid-day. Each ferry will return to its homeport by early evening. “The basic idea of arranging our fast ferry routes to form a ‘couplet’ that connects at Petersburg is to provide a one-day, express ferry ride between Ketchikan and Juneau,” said Robin Taylor, the state’s director of marine transportation.