The F/V Fairweather at sea. (Photo courtesy of AMHS)
If you checked the ferry schedule for the Upper Lynn Canal recently, you may have noticed that it was looking pretty sparse. There was only one trip per week scheduled for the last three weeks of December.
According to Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Aurah Landau the service gaps arose due to repairs on the Aurora. This, in turn, affected the timeline for scheduled work on the LeConte, Malaspina and Columbia.
Yesterday, the Alaska Marine Highway System announced that they received approval from the Coast Guard to run the fast vehicle ferry Fairweather to cover those winter holiday service gaps.
The Fairweather had been in layup status prior to the announcement. From December 7 to December 30, the ferry will be brought into service to make four runs a week between Haines, Skagway, and Juneau.
A proposed schedule released earlier this month by the Alaska Marine Highway System shows the Fairweather returning to service in Southeast Alaska next summer as well.
The ferry would make three runs a week between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, plus a weekly run to Sitka from May to September.
