Fast Ferries sold for $5 million, headed to Spain
March 15, 2021
Monday AM
(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) finalized the sale of the AMHS vessels Fairweather and Chenega on March 10, 2021, to Servicios y Concesiones Maritimas Ibicencas S.A. of Ibiza, Spain. The sale price for Chenega was $3,111,111, and the Fairweather sold for $2,063,333, for a total of $5,174,444.
"This sale is a significant milestone in our long-term vision to reshape the Alaska Marine Highway System," said DOT&PF Commissioner John MacKinnon. "Selling the fast ferries is a move to right-size the fleet and lets AMHS redirect funds used for their storage to operations. This moves us toward our goal of a more sustainable and affordable level of service for Alaskans."
The M/V Fairweather was launched on November 15, 2003 and sailed between ports in Southeast Alaska from 2004 to 2018 and briefly in Prince William Sound. She has been idle since 2019.
Photo wikipedia.org creative commons
The M/V Chenega was built by Derecktor Shipyards in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2004 and 2005 and came into service in2005. As of 2017, the Chenega has been permanently laid up due to reductions in Marine Highway service.
Photo courtesy Alaska DOT |
The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) will transfer the proceeds into its Vessel Construction Fund, an account used for future AMHS vessel maintenance and construction. The buyer has taken possession and plans to transport the vessels to Spain in the coming weeks. The buyer has enlisted a heavy-lift ship to pick up the two ferries in Ketchikan and transport both vessels via the Panama Canal to their new homeport in Spain.
In 2019, the Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT&PF) announced it would surplus the fast ferry vessels due to their high operating costs. The two ferries were first offered to other state agencies or Alaska municipalities to be used for transportation purposes. After receiving no interest, DOT&PF listed the vessels for sale. Bids were opened on January 13, 2021, and AMHS subsequently negotiated a deal with the sole bidder, Servicios y Concesiones Maritimas Ibicencas S.A.
Servicios y Concesiones Maritimas Ibicencas S.A. operates ferries and the company provides bookings, transportation, and vehicle rentals.
Edited By Mary Kauffman, SitNews
Source of News:
Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
www.dot.alaska.gov
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