Four ferries in the shop make for a lean Alaska winter

Alaska's ferry system is heading into a tough winter: four of its ships will be in the shop at once, including one pulled for five months after crews found badly corroded steel — and for the roadless towns that depend on the ferries, that means thinner service on their lifeline.

The state has released its draft winter ferry schedule, running October through April, and it's shaped by those repairs. The Aurora, which serves Prince William Sound communities like Cordova, Valdez, and Chenega Bay, is out from October to March after maintenance turned up extensive "wasted steel." The Columbia, Kennicott, and Tustumena are each down for overhauls too, at various points across the winter — a lot of the fleet sidelined for a system that connects 35 communities, many with no road in or out.

That's the real stakes underneath a schedule notice. For roadless towns, winter sailings are how people get groceries, reach medical care, and travel to regional events, and advocates have long warned that lean winter service cuts them off. The state is asking communities to send in their local event dates so it can try to contract extra sailings around them.

Residents can weigh in through July 22, with virtual public hearings on July 23.