Kodiak residents gathered Wednesday to honor the state ferry Tustumena, which began service 60 years ago in 1964 and has become an icon for the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Affectionately known as the “Trusty Tusty,” the boat has been the sole ferry to serve Kodiak Archipelago communities the last few years.
The ferry was a few hours late because of the weather, but still hours ahead of the party planned for her. She has sometimes been called the “Rusty Tusty” when there are delays like this one.
John Mayer captained the ferry as she finally pulled in, greeted by folks waiting for friends and family to arrive. He spent nearly his entire 23-year career with the Alaska Marine Highway System on the Tustumena.
He said his favorite part is getting to meet the people he shuttles between communities.
“I love seeing us bring families into Kodiak and they’ll (be) waving to their family members on the dock and bringing people together,” he said.
He shuttles more than just passengers though. Over the years the Tusty’s brought many cars, vendors for Crab Fest, and even livestock to Kodiak Island.
The Tustumena is an icon in the state ferry fleet. She first arrived in 1964 from a shipyard all the way in Wisconsin. For the last several years she’s been running the Kodiak and Aleutian route and faced some of the toughest weather a boat can.
That wear is starting to show now though – the ship has spent extra time in yards for repairs and her hull has rust and a few cracks on her sides. Sixty years marks about double the amount of time her designers expected her to be in service.
Mayer said that’s why he talked to state Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, about throwing the Tusty a 60th anniversary celebration.
“The genesis of this party idea was just over lunch one day, I was speaking with Representative Stutes, I said ‘Yeah, we should have a party,’ and now see what happened!” the captain said.
Stutes has been a frequent voice of support for the ferry system to the Alaska State Legislature.
For the 60th anniversary, she partnered with several local businesses, nonprofits, and City of Kodiak Police to set up a block party at the ferry dock in town.
“It’s a feel-good for the community,” she said. “It really is a wonderful thing.”
Hundreds of people came for the celebration, with some sporting ferry-themed shirts and hats. People shared stories, learned about the vessel’s history, the Alutiiq Dancers performed, and there were even guided tours of the old boat. There were also free hot dogs and burgers in addition to food trucks nearby.
Kodiak Ferry Terminal Manager Amanda Becker said that although the terminal is visited by other ferries, named after the state’s glaciers, there’s something special between the Tusty and the island town.
“I mean Kennicott comes too and it’s okay,” she said. “But the Tusty is, she’s our old girl and she’s got character, she’s got an incredible crew.”
Becker is also usually the person to announce to Kodiak when the ship has maintenance delays and cancellations.
One of the overarching questions though is: When will the ship be retired?
The Tustumena’s replacement is expected to cost over $315 million, but the state has only set aside about $180 million for it.
Stutes said progress getting funds to replace the Tusty is slow but she’s hoping for the best.
“I’m an optimist – we’re moving forward and in the meantime they’re doing a good job keeping the Tustumena safe for passengers and for operation,” She said.
Mayer said he’s been trying to take care of the Tustumena the best that he can.
“This ship isn’t getting any younger, – and I’m not either,” he said. “Y’know, 20 years ago they would take her out in rougher weather than I’m doing now, but I’m trying to be kind to the ship.”
Ryan Anderson, the commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Transportation, said his team is working to find any way they can to secure more funding from the federal government like through a toll credit program.
“It turns out that the Federal Highway Administration has a program that when you invest in your ship, so all the maintenance, all the overhauls, we use our revenues and we invest in those things, we can get credit for that,” Anderson told KMXT.
All of that money goes towards the state’s side of matching contributions for federal grants. The department has already started soliciting designs for parts of the replacement ferry like its elevator for cars.
“That elevator that’s on the Tustumena – that’s a very unique thing for a ferry and so we actually have to use that elevator as a model to design the new one,” he said. “So we’ve already got the contracts out for things like the elevator design.”
He also gave a speech at the party recognizing the importance of Alaska’s ferry system and shared some of the plans for the replacement.
“The new vessel is going to be bigger, it’s going to be longer, it’s going to be wider,” Anderson told the crowd. “It’s going to hold more people, it’s going to hold more cars and it’s going to be more efficient on top of that and the operating costs will be less.”
He said he hopes to have a new boat as soon as 2027.
There were also speeches from other high-profile individuals like Alaska Senate President Gary Stevens, City of Kodiak Mayor Pat Branson, Kodiak Island Borough Mayor Scott Arndt, Homer Mayor Ken Castner, and a poem written by Stutes’ husband, Stormy. U.S. Sen Lisa Murkowski was also slated to make an appearance but had last-minute plans with her family.
Mayer said he hopes to see that new boat and let the "Trusty Tusty" retire soon.
“In the maritime industry, it’s amazingly remarkable yet regrettable that she’s made it to 60 years,” Mayer said. “It behooves us to take a look back and see how much effort and funding and muscle and sweat that went into keeping her going all these years.”
For now though, the Tustumena is scheduled to sail the Kodiak and Aleutian route until it docks in the winter for repairs.
