Engine repairs to delay return of Alaska ferry Kennicott

JUNEAU, Alaska – A ferry that has been out of operation since January for its annual overhaul will return to service later than expected because it needs additional repair work, officials said.

The Kennicott ferry will resume its coastal route from Washington state to Kodiak on March 30, two weeks later than planned, CoastAlaska News reported (http://bit.ly/2mYPeKd) Friday.

The delay comes after crews found more work needed to be done on the Kennicott’s engines, Alaska Marine Highway General Manager John Falvey said.

“We learned just a few days ago from . the engine manufacturer that because of the unexpected level of maintenance that needed to be done on those parts that they had in Seattle, that we were going to require an extra two weeks,” Falvey said.

At nearly 20 years old, the ferry is among the youngest of ships in Marine Highway’s fleet. The Kennicott carries up to about 500 passengers and 65 to 75 vehicles.

The vessel was sent to the shipyard for its annual overhaul later than scheduled this year so it could cover for other ferries needing repair.

The southwest Alaska ferry Tustumena will have its overhaul March 13, leaving five ports with no service from March 23 to March 27, Falvey said.

“Basically, what it comes to is Kodiak and Homer lose three port calls, Port Lions loses two port calls, Seldovia loses a port call and Chenega Bay will lose two port calls,” he said.

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Information from: KTOO-FM, http://www.ktoo.org