Unalaska council asks state to study seasonal Cold Bay ferry service

Unalaska City Council members want state transportation officials to study whether ferry service could ease a seasonal transportation crunch tied to the pollock fishing season. The council adopted Resolution 2026-54 on Tuesday, Sept. 8, asking the Alaska Marine Highway System and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to evaluate seasonal or temporary passenger service between Cold Bay and Unalaska during periods of high demand tied to the commercial fishing A season. The resolution also asks the state to study whether Cold Bay could serve as an alternate gateway to Unalaska during significant disruptions to direct air service.

The idea originated with UniSea, Inc., which proposed using the M/V Kennicott to carry passengers from Cold Bay to Unalaska for seven to 10 days during peak A-season demand.

The ferry system's proposed winter schedule, covering Oct. 1 through April 30, shows a fleet already stretched thin. It is built around four vessel overhauls, including an extended overhaul of the M/V Aurora after inspectors found extensive wasted steel.

The resolution commits neither the City of Unalaska nor the State of Alaska to any specific funding, vessel or operational model, and it carries no direct fiscal impact for the city. The council listed operational, regulatory, financial, scheduling, staffing, vessel, infrastructure, safety, weather and passenger-demand questions for the state to answer, and directed the city clerk to transmit the resolution to the governor, the DOT&PF commissioner, the AMHS director and Unalaska's state legislative delegation.

Some hurdles are already documented: ferry service notices limit vehicle weight, axle load and mooring at the City of Cold Bay Dock because of pile damage, and state port-call averages for 2017 through 2021 show Cold Bay drawing two winter calls a year against 46 in summer.