KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Tustumena ferry is out of service until Thursday.
Amanda Becker, the Kodiak ferry terminal manager, says the weather forecasted for this week near the Barren islands will make the seas bigger than what the Tustumena can currently handle safely.
The ship’s stabilizers, also called “fins,” have not been completely operational for some time. They are generally not a problem in the summer months – but fall and winter weather usually brings rougher seas.
“We’re hitting that time of the year that Mother Nature is not friendly to the Tustumena without her having stabilizer fins,” Becker said. “She’s an older ship. She has some limitations now because of that. There’s no reason to put anyone at risk.”
The next sailing of the Tustumena out of Kodiak will be this Friday.
The Tustumena’s last day in service this year will be September 30th. It’s scheduled for repairs over the winter, which include fixing the stabilizers. The ferry won’t sail again until at least April.
