The M/V Tustumena won’t be making its port call in Unalaska this weekend.
Shannon McCarthy, the communications director for the Alaska Department of Transportation, said the state ferry will turn around at Cold Bay.
“The weather out in Dutch and Akutan is pretty severe,” McCarthy said. “We've got hurricane force winds and, of course, really strong seas as well. So the sailings to both Akutan and Dutch are canceled.”
The Tustumena was set to arrive at Unalaska on Saturday. Instead, the ship will stay in Cold Bay until Sep. 7, when it will head back up the chain.
McCarthy said a cancellation for a September sailing isn’t unheard of.
“We can run into strong fall storms,” she said. “I wouldn't say it happens often, because the Tustumena and its crew are pretty darn tough.”
But with more than six decades under her belt, the Tustumena is not as tough as she used to be. The Alaska Marine Highway System is working to replace the ship, but that process was delayed after the state was unable to find bidders for the rebuild project.
In the meantime, Unalaska Visitors Bureau Executive Director Katherine McGlashan said the local communities take a hit when cancellations like this happen.
“All of these small communities come here — they're a handful of people — for the day, and they turn around and go back home with groceries, so what it really affects is our restaurants, our stores,” McGlashan said.
Still, she said it's better to be safe than sorry, especially with unpredictable Aleutian weather.
"You can always predict, but you don't really know what's going to happen in between," McGlashan said.
She said the ship doesn’t provide a large number of tours for the visitors bureau, but her staff still looks forward to greeting the ferry passengers.
Passengers also ferry from nearby islands like Akutan and False Pass to catch airplanes to Anchorage or to refuel. Some also hop on the ship for snacks from the Tustumena’s galley, giving the ship one of its catchy nicknames, “the McTusty.”
For now, travelers and dinner guests will have to wait until the Tustumena’s next and final sailing of the season, later this month.
