The M/Vs Hubbard and Tustumena will get capital improvements this year with the awards going to two Alaska shipyards, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Transportation.
The M/V Hubbard, one of the two Alaska Class Ferries, will have crew quarters constructed to enable the Alaska Marine Highway System to take the ship for longer voyages and reaching more ports. By doing so, it will increase system wide flexibility and the need for increased reliability. The work was awarded to Vigor at the Ketchikan shipyard on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022.
The $15 million project will modify the ferry to construct eight single person staterooms on the Bridge Deck, and eight two-person staterooms on the Upper Deck. Additional work includes the installation of a galley, scullery, and mess spaces on the Upper Deck; a new fan room on the bridge deck; and extension of the existing port stair tower to the bridge deck to serve the new accommodations.
The $9.4 million Tustumena Capital Improvement project was awarded to JAG at the Seward shipyard on Dec. 28. This work will contribute toward extending the ship’s service life until the Tustumena Replacement Vessel can be put into service in approximately five to six years. Upgrades include refurbishing the main vehicle elevator, new exterior hull coatings – steel piping replacements, including black and gray water drains, bilge and ballast systems; ballast piping and valves; LED lighting upgrades and promenade deck upgrades.
DOT&PF Deputy Commissioner Rob Carpenter:
“We need our ships to be flexible and able to provide the redundancy necessary for system-wide reliability. Our fleet is aging, and we need ships that can be Swiss Army knives with the capability to serve as many of our coastal communities as possible. These projects, along with the Tustumena Replacement Vessel, are part of our fleet modernization efforts. By reinvesting in our marine highway, we’re ensuring the economic viability of our coastal communities; connecting them to each other and the rest of Alaska’s transportation network.”
The M/V Hubbard was the second Alaska Marine Highway ferry built in Alaska in 2018, along with its sister ship the M/V Tazlina. It is 280 feet long and has a capacity for up to 300 passengers and 53 vehicles.
The M/V Tustumena is one of oldest ships of the AMHS fleet, built in 1964. It is 296 feet long and has the capacity to carry up to 160 passengers, and 34 vehicles. It is one of only two certified ocean class ferries and is the only vessel capable of serving all 13 ports of call between Homer and Unalaska.
