State may contract for private operator to cover ferry gap in smaller communities

The Alaska Marine Highway System is looking for private companies to fill service gaps over the winter for small Northern Southeast communities.

The LeConte is scheduled to go out of service in early January until the end of February for its annual overhaul and recertification. That would leave several communities without ferry service for two months.

Mainline ferries are too large to serve the communities and the state’s smaller ships are unavailable. “The stars are not aligning for us to use one of our own vessels,” said Sam Dapcevich, a spokesperson for the Alaska Marine Highway System.

Amo...