An open call for vessels that could fill in for the Tustumena ferry has ended, and the state came up empty-handed.
The Department of Transportation was looking for ships that could carry passengers and vehicles between Homer and Kodiak, and other communities in the Kodiak region, in early July while the Tusty wraps up repairs. Only one company responded — Bering Marine Corporation of Anchorage. DOT spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says the vessel they offered wasn’t licensed to carry passengers, so it didn’t meet the state’s requirements for the route.
This means there will be no ferry service to Homer, Kodiak, and the Aleutian Chain until late July, when the Tustumena is finally scheduled to come out of drydock.
