A new independent ferry service is planning its first sailings in Southeast Alaska for June 14. The Rainforest Islands Ferry plans to offer roundtrip runs between Coffman Cove, on northern Prince of Wales Island, Wrangell Island and South Mitkof Island near Petersburg, four days a week.
Their converted landing craft can handle up to 28 passengers and six vehicles.
“The operating systems are all going together,” said Kent Miller, the North End Ferry Authority’s general manager. “We’re advertising for people right now and anticipate that in two weeks we’ll be able to start service.”
The ferry will have to pass through some exposed waters in Clarence Strait and Sumner Strait and Miller expects about 10 trips a year, out of the 200 planned, will be cancelled due to bad weather. The new service is planned to run year-round with two weeks of scheduled downtime in January. Reservations will be made by phone, or email. The authority hopes to eventually have bookings available through their website.
It’s cost about $2.5 million to purchase the vessel and refit it, along with the mini-coach vans. The funding comes from a U.S. Department of Agriculture loan that the ferry authority will repay. Miller said the operating costs pencil out based on numbers from the prior service between the three sites.
Petersburg and Wrangell already have state ferry service connecting the two communities. At least one private tour boat company also transports passengers between South Mitkof Island and Wrangell.
The state ferry LeConte is also scheduled to make one roundtrip a month from the ferry terminals at South Mitkof and Coffman Cove this summer during months of July, August and September.
