View source for MV Tustumena

{{Short description|Mainline ferry vessel}}
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|Ship image=[[File:MV Tustumena at False Pass.JPG|300px|M/V Tustumena, docked at the False Pass city port.]]
|Ship caption=The M/V ''Tustumena'' at the dock in [[False Pass, Alaska]]
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{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship name=''Tustumena''
|Ship namesake= [[Tustumena Glacier]] in the [[Kenai Peninsula]]
|Ship owner=[[File:Flag of Alaska.svg|20px]] [[Alaska Marine Highway System]]
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|Ship registry={{flag|United States}}
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|Ship builder= [[Christy Corporation]], [[Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin]]
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|Ship launched=1963
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|Ship commissioned=1964
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|Ship homeport= [[Kodiak, Alaska]]
|Ship identification=*{{IMO Number|6421086}}
*{{MMSI Number|303267000}}
*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: WGNW
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|Ship status={{Ship in active service}}
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|Ship displacement= {{convert|3067|LT|t|0|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= {{convert|296|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|56|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship draft={{convert|14|ft|4.5|in|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship decks= One vehicle deck
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|Ship ramps= Aft port and aft starboard [[Roll-on/roll-off|ro-ro]] loading
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|Ship power={{convert|5100|hp|0|abbr=on}}
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|Ship speed= {{convert|13.85|kn|lk=in}}
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|Ship capacity=*211 passengers
*36 vehicles
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'''M/V ''Tustumena''''' is a mainline [[ferry]] vessel for the [[Alaska Marine Highway System]].<ref>Alaska Department of Transportation [http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/vessel_profiles.shtml Alaska Marine Highway Vessel Profiles] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330005353/http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/vessel_profiles.shtml |date=2013-03-30 }}</ref>

''Tustumena'' was constructed in 1963 by [[Christy Corporation]] in [[Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin|Sturgeon Bay]], [[Wisconsin]]<ref name="Colton, Tim">{{cite web|url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/active/bay.htm |title=Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI |website=shipbuildinghistory.com |first=Tim |last=Colton |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703093316/http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/active/bay.htm |archivedate=2015-07-03 }}</ref>  and refurbished in 1969 in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]. As the only mainline ferry in South-central Alaska and the [[Aleutian Islands|Aleutian Chain]], it principally runs between [[Kodiak, Alaska|Kodiak]], [[Seldovia, Alaska|Seldovia]], [[Port Lions, Alaska|Port Lions]], and [[Homer, Alaska|Homer]] with Homer providing a road link to the other communities on the [[Kenai Peninsula]]. The only interruptions from this schedule occur when making a voyage out the Aleutian Chain (the Aleutian Chain run consists of the communities of [[Akutan, Alaska|Akutan]], [[Chignik, Alaska|Chignik]], [[Cold Bay, Alaska|Cold Bay]], [[False Pass, Alaska|False Pass]], [[King Cove, Alaska|King Cove]], [[Sand Point, Alaska|Sand Point]], and [[Unalaska, Alaska|Unalaska]]/[[Dutch Harbor, Alaska|Dutch Harbor]]) which the vessel undergoes eight times a year all of which occur during the summer as winter weather becomes too dangerous.

{{wide image|MV Tustumena at False Pass, Alaska, on 2018-11-22 - IMO 6421086 18-09-07.jpg|700px|AMHS passenger and vehicle ferry, MV ''Tustumena'', at the public dock in False Pass, Alaska}}

Because of the exposed and unstable parts of Alaska it plies, the ''Tustumena'' is an accredited ocean-going vessel, a quality it shares exclusively with the ''Kennicott''.  As such, the ''Tustumena'' is replaced by the {{ship|M/V|Kennicott}} when it undergoes annual maintenance.

The ''Tustumena'' is the smallest AMHS vessel to have cabins.  The ''Tustumena'''s amenities include a full service dining room; cocktail lounge and bar (which is now closed; there is wine and beer service at meals); solarium; forward, aft, movie, and business lounges; eight four-berth cabins and 18 two-berth cabins.  The large black structure on the aft portion of the vessel is a [[car elevator]].  It is used in all communities where there is not a dedicated ramp loading directly into the car deck.  While the car elevator for the ''Tustumena'' is exposed on the exterior, the ''Kennicott'' car elevator is located inside the vessel.

{{gallery
|align=center        
|File:2018-11-04 MV TUSTUMENA - IMO 6421086 18-09-05.jpg|AMHS ferry, MV ''Tutsumena'', docked in Kodiak, Alaska
|File:2018-11-13 Bell of MV TUSTUMENA - IMO 6421086 18-09-11.jpg|Bell on the bow with build date “1964”
|File:2018-11-04 MV TUSTUMENA - IMO 6421086 18-09-04.jpg|MV ''Tutsumena'' coming into Homer Spit, Alaska
}}

== Future ==
{{Update|date=March 2020}}
In the fall of 2012, ''Tustumena'' went into scheduled maintenance at the dry-docks of [[Seward, Alaska|Seward]] Alaska.  Several found issues pushed her return from service from the original May 29th to a planned July 23rd, leaving the state without a ship available to do her run.<ref name="OutOfService">{{cite web | agency =Associated Press | title =Tustumena Now Out of Service Till July 23 | publisher =KTUU | date =June 4, 2013 | url =http://www.ktuu.com/news/tustumena-now-out-of-service-till-july-23-060413,0,3742529.story | accessdate =June 6, 2013 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130614045810/http://www.ktuu.com/news/tustumena-now-out-of-service-till-july-23-060413,0,3742529.story | archive-date =June 14, 2013 | url-status =dead }}</ref>  The return to service was delayed twice more, due to the discovery of serious issues with the vessel's steel and further delays at the shipyard. The ship missed the entire summer season and was not returned to service until October.<ref>Jackinsky, McKibben [http://homernews.com/homer-news/business/2013-10-23/finally-tustumena-returns-to-service Finally, Tustumena returns to service] [[Homer News]] 10/23/2013</ref> Given the age of the vessel, and her extended time in dry-dock, the State is looking to find or build a replacement vessel, design work began in the fall of 2013 <ref name="Replace">{{cite web |agency=Associated Press | title =State planning replacement of Tustumena ferry | publisher = Juneau Empire | date = May 23, 2013 | url =http://juneauempire.com/state/2013-05-23/state-planning-replacement-tustumena-ferry#comment-form | accessdate =  June 6, 2013}}</ref> but was not completed until early 2016. The vessel is planned to be largely funded by the federally-funded ''Alaska Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan'', and is not slated to begin construction before 2019.<ref>Chandler, Quinton [http://www.alaskapublic.org/2016/02/15/new-tustumena-design-ready/ New Tustumena design ready] [[KTOO (FM)]]/[[Alaska Public Media]] 2/15/2016</ref>

In 2017, scheduled repairs once again revealed serious issues. It was found that the steel on the car deck needed to be replaced entirely and the vessel was delayed from returning to service.<ref>[http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/doc/service_notices/tus_041217.pdf M/V Tustumena return to service delayed until May 27] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026214746/http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/doc/service_notices/tus_041217.pdf |date=2017-10-26 }} Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities</ref> During the course of that work being done, rusted and pitted steel was also discovered in the engine room, and the vessel is not expected to return to service until mid-August, missing the bulk of the summer season.<ref>Bolton, Aaron, [http://kbbi.org/post/tustumenas-return-delayed-until-august Tustumena's return delayed until August] [[KBBI]]6/6/16</ref> The [[M/V Kennicott]] is providing services between Homer and Seldovia and Kodiak on a limited schedule.  A private carrier is providing freight service to the Aleutian islands but is not permitted for passenger transport.<ref>Armstrong, Michael, [http://homernews.com/local-news-business/2017-05-11/tustumena-return-delayed-until-july-18 Tustumena return delayed until July 18], [[Homer News]],  05/11/2017</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Tustumena (ship, 1964)}}
* [http://www.ferryalaska.com/ Official Alaska Marine Highway System website]

{{Alaska Marine Highway System}}
{{Spaulding Ships}}
{{Christy Corporation ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tustumena}}
[[Category:Alaska Marine Highway System vessels]]
[[Category:1963 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin]]