Alaska Marine Highway System Sells Fast Ferries: Vessels Headed to Spain
March 11th, 2021
On March 10, 2021, the Alaska Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) finalized the sale of the
AMHS vessels Fairweather and Chenega to Servicios y Concesiones Maritimas
Ibicencas S.A. of Ibiza, Spain. The sale price for Chenega was $3,111,111, and
the Fairweather sold for $2,063,333, for a total of $5,174,444. AMHS will
transfer the proceeds into its Vessel Construction Fund, an account used for
future AMHS vessel maintenance and construction. The buyer has taken possession
and plans to transport the vessels to Spain in the coming weeks.
"This sale is a significant milestone in
our long-term vision to reshape the Alaska Marine Highway System," said
DOT&PF Commissioner John MacKinnon. "Selling the fast ferries is a
move to right-size the fleet and lets AMHS redirect funds used for their
storage to operations. This moves us toward our goal of a more sustainable and
affordable level of service for Alaskans."
In 2019, DOT&PF announced it would surplus
the fast ferry vessels due to their high operating costs. The two ferries were
first offered to other state agencies or Alaska municipalities to be used for
transportation purposes. After receiving no interest, DOT&PF listed the
vessels for sale. Bids were opened on January 13, 2021, and AMHS subsequently
negotiated a deal with the sole bidder.
The buyer has enlisted a heavy-lift ship to pick up the two ferries in Ketchikan and transport both vessels via the Panama Canal to their new homeport in Spain.
