Begich wants lifeline for ferry

PALMER — Add to the list of possible solutions to the Mat-Su Borough’s ferry conundrum handing the ship over to the U.S. Coast Guard.

“I request the U.S. Coast Guard evaluate the capabilities of the M/V Susitna for possible use in conducting Coast Guard missions in Alaska, the Arctic or elsewhere,” U.S. Sen. Mark Begich wrote in a letter dated Friday and addressed to the Coast Guard’s commandant, Admiral Robert J. Papp.

Begich’s spokeswoman, Julie Hasquet, said the letter shouldn’t be taken as the senator advocating for this solution over others.

“We know that there’s a need for the Susitna to find work, we know that the Coast Guard needs resources, so the senator thought it was worth exploring with them,” Hasquet said. “The answer might be no, but you don’t know if you don’t ask.”

The borough has lately crossed a threshold with its ferry plans. From here on out, the borough is going to be paying its own money for the ship. The ferry was built as a military prototype of an ice-breaking catamaran the U.S. Navy could use as a landing craft.

The Navy built the ship with the borough taking it over essentially for free with the intent of using it as a ferry between Point MacKenzie and Anchorage.

But with the ship complete and berthed in Ketchikan, neither Anchorage nor Port MacKenzie has a landing capable of moving cars on and off the ship.

Borough manager John Moosey sought direction from the borough assembly, telling assembly members that abandoning the project would cost something like $20 million, but storing the boat would cost upward of $1 million per year. And the ship won’t take in enough revenue to cover its costs unless it can move cars.

Hasquet said Begich’s office sends letters like this periodically to the president, to cabinet officials and others. She said the senator knows Admiral Papp and is aware that the Coast Guard is short on resources.

“It could be a great partnership,” Hasquet said. “We want to make sure they know it is even out there.”

Begich’s letter outlines several places it might be useful.

“With its unique capabilities, the M/V Susitna may have application by the U.S. Coast Guard for fisheries patrol, search and rescue, spill response, homeland security, drug interdiction and other missions,” Begich wrote.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.