Alaska Marine Highway System
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) or the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is a
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
service operated by the U.S. state of
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
. It has its headquarters in
Ketchikan, Alaska Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a p ...
. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates along the south-central coast of the state, the eastern
Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
and the
Inside Passage The Inside Passage () is a coastal route for ships and boats along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast of the North American Fjordland. The route extends from southeastern Alaska in the United St ...
of Alaska and
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, Canada. Ferries serve communities in
Southeast Alaska Southeast Alaska, often abbreviated to southeast or southeastern, and sometimes called the Alaska(n) panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, bordered to the east and north by the northern half of the Canadian provi ...
that have no road access, and the vessels can transport people, freight, and vehicles. AMHS's of routes go as far south as
Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...
, in the
contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...
and as far west as Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, with a total of 32 terminals throughout Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington. It is part of the National Highway System and receives federal highway funding. It is also the only method of transportation of vehicles between the state and the contiguous United States not requiring international customs and immigration. The Alaska Marine Highway System is a rare example in the U.S. of a shipping line offering regularly scheduled service for the primary purpose of transportation of passengers rather than of leisure or entertainment. Voyages can last many days, but, in contrast to the luxury of a typical cruise line, cabins cost extra, and most food is served cafeteria-style.


History


Pre-statehood

The forerunner to the Alaska Marine Highway was the Chilkoot Motorship Lines, founded in 1948 by Haines residents Steve Homer and Ray Gelotte. The company used a converted LCT-Mark VI
landing craft Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. ...
, christened the . They operated a weekly service from Tee Harbor (north of Juneau) to Haines and Skagway, connecting the territorial capital to the international road system. The Chilkoot Motorship Lines was purchased by the territorial government, and moved under the Territorial Board of Road Commissioners in 1951. In 1957, the MV ''Chillkoot'' was replaced by the MV ''Chilkat'', which remained a part of the system until being decommissioned in 1988.


A state ferry system

In 1959, the year Alaska became a state, voters approved an $18 million ($ million today) bond package to improve the ferry system throughout the
Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...
and Southcentral regions. The package included 4 new vessels and new docks throughout. The first of these new vessels built was the MV ''Malaspina'', followed closely by the MV ''Matanuska'' and MV ''Taku''. With 3 new ships, and a new name, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) was born. The following year, the ocean-certified MV ''Tustumena'' was completed, the ''Chilkat'' moved to
Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the ...
, and the AMHS started service in Southcentral. In 1969, that service was expanded with the addition of the MV ''E.L. Bartlett'', in service with the state until 2004.


Farther south

In 1967, two events acted to severely restrict transportation to and from Southeast Alaska. A slide took out the Alaska Highway to the North, and BC Ferries MV ''Queen of Prince Rupert'' ran aground, severely limiting transfer passengers' ability to move between the AMHS Southern terminus of
Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12, ...
to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. Until this time, portions of the passage between Southeast Alaska and Washington State were classified as outside waters, and none of the vessels the AMHS operated in Southeast Alaska had the necessary ocean-going certification required to carry passengers on outside waters. Citing the need for a transportation link between Alaska and the rest of the United States, then governor
Wally Hickel Walter Joseph Hickel (August 18, 1919 – May 7, 2010) was an American businessman, real estate developer, and politician who served as the second governor of Alaska from 1966 to 1969 and 1990 to 1994, as well as U.S. Secretary of the Interior ...
ordered the AMHS to send a vessel south to Seattle while putting a request to Congress to re-classify the route as inside waters. The federal government agreed to do so, which left the AMHS with a significantly longer route system, and no new vessels to serve it. Faced with the lengthy construction time and cost of building a new vessel, the AMHS looked abroad to find a quicker solution. The ''Stena Britannica'', just a year old, was purchased and rechristened the MV ''Wickersham''. While the ''Wickersham'' was relatively inexpensive to purchase, and could be added to the system quickly, she was never re-flagged as an American ship, and so commercial operation between US ports of call was a violation of the
Merchant Marine Act of 1920 The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 is a United States federal statute that provides for the promotion and maintenance of the American merchant marine. Among other purposes, the law regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. por ...
(commonly known as the ''Jones Act''). Initially, the State of Alaska had felt they would be able to get a waiver of the Jones Act for the ''Wickersham'', but that request was blocked, severely limiting the scheduling flexibility of the ship. While the ''Wickersham'' could pick up passengers in Washington State and deliver them to Alaska if there were an intermediary stop in Canada, moving passengers within Alaska was not allowed. Additionally, as the ''Wickersham'' was not specifically built for Alaskan ports, she was limited as to which ports she could dock at. The AMHS ordered the new construction of the MV ''Columbia'', which replaced the ''Wickersham'' on the mainline Seattle route in 1974. The southern terminus of the AMHS remained in Seattle until October 1989, when it moved to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in
Fairhaven, Washington Fairhaven (or Fairhaven Village) was a settlement in Washington state founded in 1883 by Dan Harris. In 1903, it became part of the city of Bellingham and remains a historic neighborhood. Description The Fairhaven area is situated on the so ...
, after signing a 20-year lease with the city of Bellingham.


Feeder service

Facing the need to increase capacity, both the ''Matanuska'' and ''Malaspina'' were stretched by 56 feet, beyond the capacity of some of the smaller harbors and leaving the ''Taku'' as the only AMHS ship in Southeast able to serve some of the smaller communities. To serve the smaller communities of Southeast, the AMHS ordered the MV ''LeConte'' in 1974 and the MV ''Aurora'' in 1978. These would be the last new ships built for the AMHS for 20 years, ending the initial construction of the AMHS.


''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill

On March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez struck
Bligh Reef Bligh Reef, sometimes known as Bligh Island Reef, is a reef off the coast of Bligh Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska. This was the location of the 1989 ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill. After the incident, 33 US Code § 2733 mandated the operati ...
in Prince William Sound. The State of Alaska's on scene response was managed from the ''E.L. Bartlett,'' later relieved by the ''Aurora.'' Suction trucks were placed in the car-deck, temporarily converting the ferry into a spill response vessel. The State of Alaska determined a new vessel was necessary, and the new vessel should be designed from the beginning to be able to take on a command and control role in the case of another disaster. Funded in part by settlement money from Exxon, the MV ''Kennicott'' joined the system in 1998.


Day boats

New construction since the ''Kennicott'' has focused on day boats, which can run their expected schedule and return home within a 12-hour shift. In 2004, the MV ''Lituya'' was added to the fleet to make the trip between
Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a po ...
and Metlakatla in Southeast. With a design heavily influenced by oil rig supply vessels, she is unique among the fleet with an open car deck and limited passenger facilities. Costing only $9.5 million ($ million today), her low fuel consumption and small crew complement make her the most economical vessel in the fleet, giving the AMHS real-world data on the effectiveness of small, short-haul ferries in Southeast waters.


Labor strike

In 2019, a
labor strike Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike in British English, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became co ...
involving over 400 members of the Inlandboatman's Union of the Pacific shut down the AMH for several days between July 24 and August 2. This strike, the first one the AMH had seen in 42 years, led to a $3.2 million loss in revenue and reimbursements and was resolved with federal mediation.


Routes


Southeast Alaska

The southeast AMHS route system is divided into two subsystems: the mainline routes which typically take more than one day for the ship to travel; and shorter routes where the vessels depart their home port in the morning, travel to destination ports and then return to their home port on the same day. The shorter routes are commonly referred to as "day boat" routes. The mainline routes carry a high percentage of tourists in the summer, and provide service between Bellingham, Washington, or Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and Skagway, Alaska. Along the way, the ships stop in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Haines. The smaller communities Kake and Hoonah are served by certain mainline sailings. During 2008, the five largest AMHS vessels were used on the Southeast mainline routes. These were the , , , , and the . Day boat service was also provided on the North Lynn Canal route during the peak summer season by MV Malaspina. This route provides round-trip service between Juneau, Haines and Skagway. The day boat routes connect the smaller communities of Southeast Alaska with each other and with the Southeast Alaska mainline communities (Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka, Juneau, Haines and Skagway) that serve as regional centers for commerce, government health services, and/or connections to other transportation systems. The day boat routes primarily serve local residents, and include Angoon, Hoonah, Kake, Metlakatla, Pelican, and Tenakee. In 2008, three AMHS vessels provided service on the day boat routes. These were the , the and the . The MV ''Lituya'' is dedicated to providing day boat service between Ketchikan and Metlakatla. The Southeast System connects with the continental road system at Bellingham, Washington, Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and in Alaska at Haines and Skagway.


Cross-gulf service

When the MV ''Kennicott'', a vessel certified to operate in open waters, joined the fleet in the summer 1998 the ferry system expanded to include regular cross-gulf sailings. Also known as "inter-tie trips", these sailings connect Southeastern Alaska with Southcentral and Southwest regions of the state. All cross-gulf trips include a stop at the port of Yakutat, a community unique in that it is served only on a cross-gulf route. During 2008, the AMHS provided Yakutat with 10 port calls.


Southwest Alaska

The Southwest system serves Prince William Sound, Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands. The MV ''Tustumena'' provides regular service between Kodiak, Port Lions, Seldovia and Homer. In 2008, between April and October, the MV ''Tustumena'' traveled out the Aleutian chain once a month to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, stopping at Chignik, Sand Point, King Cove, False Pass, Akutan and Cold Bay. This trip is not made in the winter because of adverse weather conditions. In 2008 service in Prince William Sound to Valdez, Cordova and Whittier was provided by the MV ''Aurora''. The MV ''Chenega'' provided additional service during the summer season, and the MV ''Kennicott'' provided supplemental service. AMHS also provided fifty-five stops in the village of Tatitlek and thirty-six stops in Chenega Bay. Tourist passengers add a significant percentage to the Prince William Sound traffic in the summer, especially between Valdez and Whittier. In the winter months when traffic demand was significantly reduced and weather conditions worsened, the MV ''Chenega'' was moved to North Lynn Canal to replace the Fairweather for its overhaul period. The MV ''Tustumena'' also underwent a CIP project, leaving the MV ''Aurora'' to provide service between the ports.


Communities served

The Alaska Marine Highway's main hub is in
Juneau Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the capital of Alaska in 1906, when the government of wha ...
, though administrative offices are in
Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a po ...
. Other smaller operational hubs include Cordova (
Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the ...
), Ketchikan (southern
Panhandle A salient, panhandle, or bootheel is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state. While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on three sides. Ins ...
), and Kodiak (Southcentral Alaska). The AMHS serves the following communities year-round: * Akutan * Angoon *
Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the county seat of Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It lies south of the Canada–United States border, U.S.–Canada border, between Vancouver, British Columbia, ...
*
Chenega Bay Chenega (; Alutiiq: ) is a census-designated place (CDP) on Evans Island in the Chugach Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located in Prince William Sound, the CDP consists of the Chugach Alutiiq village of Chenega Bay, which was establish ...
* Chignik * Cold Bay * Cordova * False Pass * Gustavus * Haines *
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
* Hoonah *
Juneau Juneau ( ; ), officially the City and Borough of Juneau, is the capital of the U.S. state of Alaska, located along the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle. Juneau was named the capital of Alaska in 1906, when the government of wha ...
*
Kake KAKE (channel 10) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on West Street in northwestern Wichita, and its transmitter is located i ...
*
Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; ) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough on Revillagigedo Island of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic Landmark District. With a po ...
* King Cove * Kodiak * Metlakatla * Ouzinkie * Petersburg * Port Lions *
Prince Rupert, British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Kaien Island near the Alaskan panhandle. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and has a population of 12, ...
* Sand Point * Seldovia * Sitka *
Skagway The Municipality and Borough of Skagway is a borough in Alaska on the Alaska Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,240, up from 968 in 2010. The population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with the large ...
* Tatitlek * Tenakee Springs * Unalaska/Dutch Harbor * Valdez * Whittier * Wrangell * Yakutat


Current vessels

The following vessels, from smallest to largest, currently serve in the Alaska Marine Highway's fleet: * MV ''Lituya'', solely dedicated to serving the Ketchikan-Annette Bay route, which includes the city of Metlakatla. * MV ''Aurora'' operates in Prince William Sound. * MV ''LeConte'' serves the feeder communities in the northern Southeast as a day boat. * MV ''Tazlina'', the first Alaska-Class vessel and the first AMHS ship to be built in Alaska. * MV ''Hubbard'', the second Alaska-Class vessel. * MV ''Tustumena'', serves Southcentral and Aleutian Island communities. * MV ''Malaspina'', runs backup mainline throughout Southeast Alaska when the MV Columbia is off-line for service. During the summer months it serves a daily shuttle route between Juneau, Haines and Skagway. * MV ''Matanuska'', runs mainline throughout Southeast Alaska, frequently beginning in Prince Rupert, and occasionally running to Bellingham. * MV ''Columbia'', runs mainline throughout Southeast Alaska, usually beginning in Bellingham. * MV ''Kennicott'', runs mainline throughout Southeast Alaska, frequently beginning in Prince Rupert and making a cross-
Gulf of Alaska The Gulf of Alaska ( Tlingit: ''Yéil T'ooch’'') is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the ...
trip to Southcentral Alaska once a month. Most Alaska Marine Highway System vessels are built for multiple-day voyages due to the large distances between ports. For example, it takes just under three days to travel from Bellingham to Skagway, and 18 hours for the Sitka to Juneau "milk run". Because of this, larger vessels (MV ''Tustumena'' and larger) come with staterooms, while all mainline vessels have solariums, showers, and lounges for sleeping. Hot food services and, on the MV ''Columbia'', a sit-down restaurant are also offered. In July 2011 the Marine Highway began the bidding process to build the first of what they refer to as "Alaska-Class Vessels", made to travel shorter routes. They would not have staterooms available for passengers. One hundred-twenty million dollars were set aside for the project, and the future ships names were selected from a contest amongst Alaska students. The first ferry named the MV ''Tazlina'' was delivered in August 2018 by the Vigor Shipyard in Ketchikan, AK, and the MV ''Hubbard'' was launched in June 2023. All current vessels are named after Alaskan glaciers.


Retired vessels

In addition to the current fleet, the following vessels have been retired: * MV ''Bartlett'' * MV ''Chilkat'' * MV ''Chilkoot'' * MV ''Taku'' * MV ''Wickersham'' * MV ''Chenega'' (fast ferry) had been laid up in Seattle, Washington,
Lake Washington Ship Canal The Lake Washington Ship Canal is a canal that runs through the city of Seattle and connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington to the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks accommodate the approximately diff ...
, due to service reductions. Has been sold to the Spanish company Trasmapi as of 2021. * MV ''Fairweather'' (fast ferry) operated a variety of routes in Southeast Alaska. Has been sold to the Spanish company Trasmapi as of 2021.


Traffic

The AMHS carries around 350,000 passengers and 100,000 vehicles every year. In their 2008 Annual Traffic Volume Report, the Alaska Marine Highway reported moving 340,412 passengers and 109,839 vehicles; equating to the highest passenger ridership in eight years and the highest vehicle ridership in sixteen. The Ferry is very popular with summer
tourists Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
(one of the primary reasons Bellingham and Prince Rupert are AMHS destinations). Tent cities commonly sprout up on the aft of mainline vessels, and for budget travellers, the AMHS is one of the top modes of transportation to the "Last Frontier". Service drops off significantly in winter. Vessels usually undergo overhauls and renovations during this period due to the decline in passenger and vehicle traffic (attributed to a lack of tourists).


See also

*
BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, State-owned enterprise, publicly owned Canadian c ...
, British Columbia's ferry system, similar to the Alaska Marine Highway * Inter-Island Ferry Authority, southeast Alaskan ferry system that operates out of Prince of Wales Island *
Puget Sound Navigation Company The Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSNC) was founded by Charles E. Peabody in 1898. Today the company operates an international passenger and vehicle ferry service between Port Angeles, Washington, United States and Victoria, British Columbia, Ca ...
, a private company connecting Washington and British Columbia *
Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...
, state-operated ferry system serving Puget Sound, the
San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands is an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...
and
Sidney, British Columbia Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. It is one of the thirteen Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,583. Sidney ...
Together, these services cover the length of the
Inside Passage The Inside Passage () is a coastal route for ships and boats along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast of the North American Fjordland. The route extends from southeastern Alaska in the United St ...
. They connect at a number of locations.


References


External links

*
Our Route

Alaska Marine Highway System fleet

America's Byways - Alaska Marine Highway (Inside Passage)

America's Byways - Alaska Marine Highway (Gulf Coast)
* Sitnews.us


Reports

Operating Plan
{{Authority control Transportation in Haines Borough, Alaska Transportation in Juneau, Alaska Transportation in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska Transportation in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska Transportation in Municipality of Skagway Borough, Alaska Transportation in Unorganized Borough, Alaska Transportation in Whatcom County, Washington Cross-border public transport