Name M/V Chenega Laid down 2004 Construction started 2004 Length 72 m | Port of registry United States Commissioned 2005 Launched 2005 | |
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Namesake Chenega Glacier, Prince William Sound, Alaska Owner Alaska Marine Highway System Builders Derecktor Shipyards, Bridgeport | ||
M/V Chenega is a fast ferry catamaran and the newest vessel in the Alaska Marine Highway System.
The M/V Chenega was built by Derecktor Shipyards in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 2004 and 2005 and came into service in the latter year. It is powered by four diesel engines and water jets for a service speed of 32 knots which is only matched in the Alaska Marine Highway by its older sister ship, the M/V Fairweather.
The Chenega's amenities include a small movie lounge, rear observation deck/solarium, and cafeteria (no kitchen, prepared food only).
As of 2017, the Chenega has been permanently laid up due to reductions in Marine Highway service.
Route
The Chenega ran into controversy from virtually the day it came into service. The Chenega had long been promised to service Prince William Sound year-round, and starting in the summer of 2005, however it came into service later than scheduled and the state of Alaska soon reneged on its promise for full-time Prince William Sound service and transferred the Chenega to its current route between Ketchikan and Petersburg with occasional stops in Wrangell for the winter. The new plan is to have the Chenega run this Southeast Alaska route in the winter and then transfer the ferry up to Prince William Sound in the summer. This is especially controversial because unlike feeder and mainline ferry vessels, the fast ferries only operate in the day thus their crews live in their homeports offering additional economic stimulus to its host community. Because of this, Cordova, the Chenega's Prince William Sound home, was especially outraged after the decision to transfer the boat to Ketchikan. In the winter, the M/V Aurora takes the Chenega's place running the Prince William Sound route.