By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
On Sunday the Alaska Marine Highway mainline vessel Matanuska will make a stop in Sitka enroute to Prince Rupert, B.C., marking this summer’s second ferry sailing to the Canadian port since service on that route stopped in 2019.
The Matanuska will depart Sitka southbound at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, and arrive in Prince Rupert at 9:45 p.m. Monday.
Other stops on the vessel’s southbound itinerary are Kake, Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan.
Prince Rupert is the northwestern road and rail link that connects Southeast Alaska to the lower 48 states via Canada. Alaska Marine Highway service to the vital port was suspended in 2019 due to law enforcement disagreements at the border.
The one-way passenger fare for the Sunday sailing to Prince Rupert is $211, with additional charges for vehicles.
Schedules and bookings are at https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/.
The Matanuska is slated to sail to Prince Rupert four more times this summer, departing Sitka July 20, August 14, August 17 and September 14. The one-way ticket price for those sailings is $161 as of today.
The schedule for return sailings to Sitka from Prince Rupert is sparse, with only two trips on the calendar for July, August and September.
While the Matanuska will make numerous loops of Southeast this summer, many sailings will exclude Sitka, while others will skip Prince Rupert. For those hoping to sail directly from Prince Rupert to Sitka this summer, the only available departure dates are July 19 and August 16. However, a traveler could sail northbound from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan on July 22, spend several days there, and catch the Matanuska bound for Sitka July 29.
All told, the Matanuska will be in Sitka five times this month, four times in August and four times in September.
