MV Matanuska, colloquially known as the Mat, is a mainline Malaspina-class ferry vessel operated by the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Construction and characteristics
In 1959, as Alaska became a state, one of the top priorities of its coastal residents was improved ferry service. As early as February 1960, bills were introduced in the new state legislature to create a ferry authority. Alaska voters approved a $23 million bond issue in November 1960 to fund a state ferry system. Seattle naval architect Philip F. Spaulding was consulted by Governor William A. Egan as to what types of ships should be built and in May 1961, his firm was hired to design the first ships built for the new state system, Matanuska and her sister ships MV Malaspina, and MV Taku.
Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company of Seattle won the contract to build the three ships with a low bid of $10,445,000. Matanuska's keel was laid on July 6, 1962, in the same graving dock from which Taku was launched just a few days before. She was the last built of the three sister ships. The ship was launched on December 5, 1962. She was christened by Anne Lewellen, wife of Alaska Marine Transportation Division Director Bafford E. Lewellen. George N. Hayes, Alaska attorney general, was the principal speaker at the ceremony. Matanuska completed her sea trials in May 1963 and was turned over to her new owners. She left Seattle for Alaska on June 7, 1963.
The ship is long with a beam of , and a fully loaded draft of . She displaces 5,569 long tons. Her gross tonnage calculated under international rules is 9,214, while her U.S. register gross tonnage is 3,029. At the time of their launch, the three sister-ships were the largest U.S.-flagged motorized ferries.
Matanuska can carry 450 passengers. She has 106 passenger staterooms with berths for 243. These are divided into 79 two-berth, 21 three-berth, five four-berth, and one wheelchair-accessible cabins. Passengers without a stateroom may use coin-operated lockers to stow their luggage, and public showers. She has a cafeteria, solarium, children's play area, and observation lounge. Her vehicle deck has of lanes, which can accommodate 83 standard-sized vehicles.
The ship cruises at 16.5 knots, at which speed she burns 234 gallons of fuel per hour. She has two Electro-Motive Diesel 16-710 G7C-T3 engines, each rated at 3,999 hp, which she uses for propulsion. This is the third set of main engines with which Matanuska has been equipped. In 2018, two MaK 9M453B 3,620 hp engines were replaced, which were installed in 1985. Her original engines were manufactured by the Enterprise Engine and Foundry division of General Metals Corporation. She has two four-bladed, variable-pitch propellers, and a bow thruster to improve maneuverability.
Matanuska normally sails with a crew of 48. Crew quarters are aboard so the ship can embark multiple watches for longer trips.
All Alaska Marine Highway System ships are named after glaciers. Matanuska is named for the Matanuska Glacier in the Chugach Mountains. Governor Egan announced the new name on September 4, 1962.
Operating history
Matanuska's first route was from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, one end of the North American road network, to Skagway, with stops in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Haines. Passengers who travelled the entire 30-hour trip paid $30 plus another $7.50 if they wanted a berth. Cars embarking at Prince Rupert paid $118 to reach Haines, where they could once again connect to mainland roads, or $122.50 to go through to Skagway at the end of the line.
She began her operational career on June 10, 1963, when she embarked 154 passengers and 45 cars at Prince Rupert. The initial public response to Matanuska was positive. During her first month of commercial operation, from June 15 to July 15, she carried 6,496 passengers and 1,302 vehicles. The Alaska Marine Highway System as a whole reached its four-year forecast for passenger boardings in the first six months of operation.