Correction: The correction relates to the car deck as the location of the steel wastage. Correct information follows below.

(JUNEAU, Alaska) –The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) announced today that the M/V Tustumena will remain at the Vigor Ketchikan Shipyard longer than previously expected. The Tustumena delay is due to the discovery and necessary repair of additional extensive steel wastage in the car deck. 

It is anticipated that the Tustumena will return to service departing Homer for Kodiak on May 18, 2019 at 10:30 AM.

Originally scheduled to return to service in mid-April, the Tustumena delay impacts communities in Southwest Alaska and along the Aleutian chain.

AMHS staff is contacting affected passengers. 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 for the vessel is available online at FerryAlaska.com.

The 55 year old Tustumena went in for a scheduled annual overhaul on February 17, 2019. A repair plan developed in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard will ensure the vessel is safe before service is resumed.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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