Update — May 28, 5:00 p.m.
Sam Dapcevich of the Department of Transportation told KTOO on Tuesday afternoon that the LeConte is back in operation and headed to Haines to pick up around 30 stranded vehicles. Dapcevich said the DOT was contacting passengers in the order that they booked, and people would have a few hours to arrange for their cars to be loaded onto the ferry.
Original story
Dozens of cars may be stuck in Haines for a month or more due to the cancellation of two sailings of the state ferry LeConte.
On Saturday, during Beerfest — a Haines festival that attracts 1500 people each Memorial Day weekend — revelers visiting from Juneau and other Southeast towns started to get calls saying that their ride home was canceled.
The LeConte’s Sunday and Tuesday sailings were canceled. Some travelers were able to get home on a Monday sailing of the Kennicott, but that left 58 vehicles stuck in Haines, according to Sam Dapcevich of the Department of Transportation.
Car reservations on ferries between Haines and Juneau are booked until July.
Juneau resident Laura Talpey took the ferry to Haines for the festival. She said that at first, she thought the cancellation was a joke.
“Like, this is like a funny festival-wide rumor that people are just saying to mess with everyone,” Talpey said.
Then she checked her email. She said the Alaska Marine Highway had sent a cancellation notice, but without any alternatives offered.
Rebecca Hilton, the Haines Borough’s tourism manager, said it was “basically worst-case scenario here, one of our biggest events of the year.”
Many travelers ended up booking transportation on planes or private ferries. Alaska Fjordlines added two extra runs to Juneau.
But Hilton said many of those options were more expensive than the $60 Alaska Marine Highway ticket.
“I really do feel for the people that were getting home in a different way,” she said. “Itʼs a little bit more cost-prohibitive than the state ferry.”
Talpey said she and many of her friends booked Alaska Seaplanes flights to get back to Juneau in time for work this week, which cost about $200. She said getting a refund for her ferry ticket will help ease the financial blow.
Dapcevich said the LeConte, which was pulled out of service for engine repairs, is expected to resume service on Wednesday. The Hubbard, which also serves Haines, has been out of service for its annual certification since mid-May.
“The boat is scheduled to be back online in July,” Dapcevich said. “Which should ease some of the traffic concerns that we’re having right now with the ships being full, especially in Lynn Canal.”
Dapcevich said rebookings and refunds have been offered to everyone affected by the canceled sailings.
This story and headline have been updated to reflect a special trip by the ferry LeConte to pick up cars that were left in Haines.
