How many sailings will the Alaska ferry make out of Bellingham this winter?
The Alaska ferry will have fewer sailings to Bellingham this winter as it deals with the impact of much lower revenue during this COVID-19 pandemic.
The Alaska Marine Highway System released its winter schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Except for the a Friday sailing on Oct. 2, the ferry system plans to arrive in Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven every other Saturday in October, November and December. It will take a break in January, restarting on Friday, Feb. 12, with weekly Friday sailings going forward.
The Kennicott ferry is scheduled to do most of the trips to Bellingham this winter. Its capacity is 499 passengers and 80 vehicles.
Last winter the schedule called for sailings into Bellingham three times a month at the end of 2019 and four times a month in January and February. That schedule was derailed in February because of repair issues, followed by the coronavirus.
In a news release, the agency noted that revenues are significantly lower than expected because of the pandemic.
“As a result, it has become necessary to build the schedule with reduced service to most communities. Some service gaps will still exist from vessel overhauls and layups as a result of available funding,” the release state.
