The Malaspina will remain in Ketchikan after its sale to M/V Malaspina LLC, a company that was incorporated on the state’s March 7 deadline to express interest in the ferry.
The state announced the $128,250 sale on Wednesday afternoon.
The first mainline ferry added to the Alaska Marine Highway fleet, the Malaspina has been moored since 2019 due to repair costs.
In a statement, M/V Malaspina President John Binkley said that “The AMHS has a proud and significant history, we want to preserve and highlight that for both visitors and Alaskans alike.”
M/V Malaspina LLC and the Ward Cove Group plan to use the retired ferry to bring attention to Ketchikan’s logging and maritime history, Binkley said.
According to the Alaska Department of Transportation, older ferries do not usually sell for large sums but “the state was interested in seeing the Malaspina reach a dignified end to her career on the sea, and this arrangement helps to preserve her legacy.”
The Malaspina is the fifth AMHS ship sold in the past 20 years. Alaskans can comment on its’s sale or share stories of the ship at the M/V Malaspina Engagement Hub.
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