The price is dropping for the state ferry Taku.
Alaska Marine Highway System General Manager John Falvey said no one submitted a bid during the most recent sale attempt, which ended May 31st.
The minimum bid was $700,000. An earlier attempt priced the ship at $1.5 million.
“We’ve had quite a bit of interest,” Falvey said. “We’ve probably had upwards of 25 calls or emails with interest. But no bids.”
Falvey said the Taku will be put out to bid one more time at a lower, yet-to-be-determined price. That should happen this week.
He said if no one buys the ferry, it could be sold for scrap.
The ferry system took the 54-year-old ship out of service about two years ago. It’s been moored at Ketchikan’s Ward Cove.
According to Falvey, a buyer would have to accept the ferry as-is, where-is. He said it’s in pretty good shape, but it would need some upgrades and permits before it could carry passengers again.
“The boat was certified by our Coast Guard,” Falvey said. “It was operational. It was safe. So I would have to assume that it shouldn’t need anything more than minor maintenance to get it running again because it sat so long.
The Taku has been advertised on the state’s website and through the Passenger Vessel Association, a trade organization.
The Taku is about 350 feet long. It can carry up to 50 vehicles and 350 passengers. It has 40 staterooms, a cafeteria, observation lounges and a covered solarium. It sailed mostly Southeast routes.
Ed Schoenfeld is Regional News Director for CoastAlaska, a consortium of public radio stations in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Wrangell.
He primarily covers Southeast Alaska regional topics, including the state ferry system, transboundary mining, the Tongass National Forest and Native corporations and issues.
He has also worked as a manager, editor and reporter for the Juneau Empire newspaper and Juneau public radio station KTOO. He’s also reported for commercial station KINY in Juneau and public stations KPFA in Berkley, WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and WUHY in Philadelphia. He’s lived in Alaska since 1979 and is a contributor to Alaska Public Radio Network newscasts, the Northwest (Public Radio) News Network and National Native News. He is a board member of the Alaska Press Club. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in Douglas.
