Columbia Return to Service Delayed
Additional repairs are needed to propeller system. The vessel is
expected to return to service July 26.
(JUNEAU, Alaska) – The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) announced today that due to ongoing repairs the M/V Columbia will require additional time at Vigor Shipyard in Portland, Oregon.
This delay will impact some passengers. Affected passengers are being notified by AMHS staff now. The M/V Malaspina is currently running in the Columbia’s place, and will continue until the Columbia is back in service on July 26. The Malaspina is a smaller vessel, therefore some passengers will not get the cabins they reserved and some vehicle reservations will be cancelled.
The Columbia went in for repairs after a suspected propeller strike with an unknown object last September. The parts necessary for the system required fabrication in Germany and took several months to manufacture. The propeller repairs were made and considered successful, and the vessel proceeded to sea trials to test the new system. While on sea trials the vessel experienced another mechanical failure related to the newly installed propeller system.
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Currently, technicians are working to diagnose the new failure and are developing a new repair plan. Once repairs are made the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Bureau of Shipping will certify the vessel as safe to operate.
For more information, please call your local terminal or the AMHS central reservations office at 1-907-465-3941 or toll free at 1-800-642-0066. An updated schedule will be made available online at FerryAlaska.com. Service notices may be found at dot.alaska.gov/amhs/service_
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 242 airports, 10 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 731 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”
