The borough assembly said it was willing to discuss the issue when the Petersburg assembly suggested it’s time for the two communities to consider helping pay for restoring the Inter-Island Ferry Authority for runs between the towns. But there is a better option.
It’s smaller than the 190-passenger ferries, it’s more affordable, and it’s local. Wrangell charter boat operators who already provide on-call runs to move people and goods between the two neighboring communities have said they could provide the service at a much lower cost than the ferry authority.
The ferry authority tried running between the two communities and Coffman Cove more than a decade ago, but weak traffic and even weaker economics sunk the service.
Whether Wrangell and Petersburg really can afford to subsidize a return of shuttle service is unanswered. Whether it makes economic sense, or whether there would be enough passenger traffic to justify the service on a regular basis is unknown. But as the two communities ask and answer those questions, they would be smarter to consider local charter operators rather than a 198-foot-long ship that is far too big — and expensive — for the route.
— Wrangell Sentinel
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