AMHS finalizing winter schedule after receiving public comments
- Jasz Garrett
- Jul 22
- 3 min read
Yakutat has no winter service, but may get a late spring trip
The Alaska Marine Highway System took comments about its draft winter schedule for Southeast, Southwest and Southcentral Alaska through virtual public meetings on Tuesday, the last day to provide input.
In Southeast Alaska, 14 people attended the remote meeting. One member of the public also participated in person at the AMHS Ketchikan Central Office.
The winter schedule spans from Oct. 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. Craig Tornga, AMHS marine director, said this winter is similar to last year’s limited sailings, with only a few changes.
The M/V LeConte is scheduled to return to service next week after being out of service for 10 months. Tornga said most of its steel has been replaced, but additional work is required to meet U.S. Coast Guard specifications. As a result, the LeConte will be out of service again from Dec. 15, 2025, through April 2026.
“There’ll be a shorter time out and we’ll get everything completed,” Tornga said.
The M/V Hubbard will be available for the full winter and spring season. The Hubbard provides service to Juneau, Haines and Skagway. The only community the Hubbard cannot visit that the LeConte can is Pelican, due to its terminal. The Hubbard does not have a ramp on its stern to lower down to Pelican’s docking facilities. The community has received supplemental service in the past through catamarans sent by AMHS.
“We work with the community to develop dates,” Sam Dapcevich, AMHS public information officer, said. “We have also done some supplemental freight service for Pelican, where we send a landing craft out, and we work directly with the community’s leaders to come up with those schedules.”
In the future, a project is planned to replace the terminal in Pelican, according to Dapcevich.
The community of Yakutat typically does not receive winter services, which remains the case this year. But AMHS will attempt to offer a trip in late spring.
“It’s just not conducive to run the Kennicott across the Gulf in the winter,” Kerri Traudt, AMHS vessel schedule coordinator, said. “We’ve done that a couple times due to weather constraints. It’s not real effective.”
Courtney Kreis, the Southcoast aviation planner for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, said she is working on updating the airport master plan. She asked if Yakutat’s lack of AMHS winter service should be factored into the plan to help meet the community’s needs. The answer was yes.
“We do hope to get back to a summer season, but they’ll definitely need service all winter,” Tornga told her.
Other Southeast communities expressed their needs during the meeting.
Melissa Wileman, the public and government relations director for the City and Borough of Sitka, said the city’s goal is to have twice-weekly northbound and southbound service.
Jaime Bricker, tourism director for the City and Borough of Skagway, requested that the January Don Hather basketball tournament be included in the Southeast events calendar. AMHS tries to accommodate community events.
The winter schedule will be finalized over the next two weeks, according to Dapcevich. While Tuesday is the last day for public comment, AMHS will consider those submitted later for future schedules via email at dot.amhs.comments@alaska.gov or faxed to 907-228-6873.
The schedule and supporting documentation are available here.
• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.
