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Author	Topic: Wanted: Good home for free Alaska icebreaking ferry	Post a Reply Back to Topics

Tiernan2012 Champion Author Sacramento Posts:1,229 Points:202,985 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 2:24:08 PM Ignore Tiernan2012 Report Abuse Free to a good home: One high-powered, state-of-the-art icebreaking commuter ferry. Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the local government for the region north of Anchorage, is seeking takers for a sophisticated vessel bestowed on it three years ago but which has never been put to its intended use. The M/V Sustina, an $80-million, Navy-funded prototype, is docked 800 miles southeast of the borough in Ketchikan, the city where it was built and christened. The ship, obtained with the help of the late Senator Ted Stevens, was intended to be a precursor to the Knik Arm Bridge, a controversial project that would link Port Mackenzie, near Wasilla, to downtown Anchorage... Visit Reuters for full article

Tiernan2012

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Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 2:24:08 PM

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Free to a good home: One high-powered, state-of-the-art icebreaking commuter ferry.

Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the local government for the region north of Anchorage, is seeking takers for a sophisticated vessel bestowed on it three years ago but which has never been put to its intended use.

The M/V Sustina, an $80-million, Navy-funded prototype, is docked 800 miles southeast of the borough in Ketchikan, the city where it was built and christened.

The ship, obtained with the help of the late Senator Ted Stevens, was intended to be a precursor to the Knik Arm Bridge, a controversial project that would link Port Mackenzie, near Wasilla, to downtown Anchorage...
Visit Reuters for full article

REPLIES (newest first)Ignore Short Messages

CityCouponer Champion Author New Orleans Posts:1,073 Points:228,830 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Feb 11, 2013 2:39:49 AM Ignore CityCouponer Report Abuse From the folks who brought you the bridge to nowhere...
335d1 Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,519 Points:785,770 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 12:27:58 PM Ignore 335d1 Report Abuse Send it further North to Dead Horse, AK. Commuter boat between it and Prudhoe Bay.
DanMtz Champion Author Oakland Posts:3,491 Points:1,270,050 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 12:27:43 PM Ignore DanMtz Report Abuse Put it on ebay.
dbellie Veteran Author Twin Cities Posts:326 Points:47,325 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 9:52:53 AM Ignore dbellie Report Abuse sounds like a boat to nowhere in the same arena as the bridge to nowhere
MINIWINI598 Champion Author Washington Posts:3,165 Points:545,425 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 3:07:00 AM Ignore MINIWINI598 Report Abuse Interesting...
Yooperheart Champion Author Michigan Posts:3,560 Points:553,750 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 1:29:05 AM Ignore Yooperheart Report Abuse Send it to Michigan, lots of ice to break here.
Jayburt All-Star Author Toledo Posts:598 Points:143,175 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 1:03:44 AM Ignore Jayburt Report Abuse Nice, struggling to pay basic bills and then you read about this...$80 mil wasted
jetskijerry Champion Author North Carolina Posts:4,036 Points:799,970 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 12:15:48 AM Ignore jetskijerry Report Abuse gs?
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,294 Points:1,649,905 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Feb 10, 2013 12:11:01 AM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse No WalkingWV, the article notes it is 195 feet long. That was a bad meter conversion in parenthesis. Knowing Stevens, he may have been trying to outdo Texas on boasting rights! It might look much better in your biased white tub doekiller. Excellent point nsdp!
BobBG All-Star Author Albany Posts:823 Points:828,845 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 10:58:56 PM Ignore BobBG Report Abuse TednStevens was the Republican pork master.
LostInNY Champion Author New York Posts:1,859 Points:674,770 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 10:12:32 PM Ignore LostInNY Report Abuse that's what happen to all the pork in appropriations...wasting US taxpayer dollars!
doeslayersr Champion Author Illinois Posts:9,298 Points:898,730 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 8:28:49 PM Ignore doeslayersr Report Abuse I say the Feds buy it and call it Navy One and from now on any time Mrs. Obama and Mr. O wants to take another vacation they travel to and from the destination on Navy One.
nsdp Champion Author San Antonio Posts:1,117 Points:47,990 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 8:19:39 PM Ignore nsdp Report Abuse This is too logical for Gov. Perry but two of the Galveston to Point Bolivar ferries need replacing. Free is a nice price.
knutzAL Champion Author Alabama Posts:2,248 Points:372,680 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 7:46:07 PM Ignore knutzAL Report Abuse what?
PathfinderSC Champion Author South Carolina Posts:9,657 Points:1,858,340 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 6:30:26 PM Ignore PathfinderSC Report Abuse Definition of Politician (BIG SPENDER)
WalkingWV Champion Author West Virginia Posts:3,754 Points:788,060 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 6:20:58 PM Ignore WalkingWV Report Abuse Article says the ship is 310km long, or 192.6 miles.
JDchefF Champion Author Lancaster Posts:1,167 Points:252,170 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 5:17:09 PM Ignore JDchefF Report Abuse Nice waste of tax payer money. Hope it can be put to good use somewhere else.
SUNOIL Champion Author Toledo Posts:5,380 Points:1,951,980 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 5:09:05 PM Ignore SUNOIL Report Abuse Come on Mayor Bell, put that in your Chinese marina district.
doggod Champion Author Anchorage Posts:2,983 Points:768,085 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 5:07:10 PM Ignore doggod Report Abuse Another lesson in the folly of letting politicians loose with money.
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,294 Points:1,649,905 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 4:28:28 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse warning, from the end of this article: "Matanuska-Susitna will be accepting bids for the Susitna through March 29. Meanwhile, the Knik Arm Bridge remains a project on the drawing boards. The bridge was one of two in Alaska that received congressional earmarks in 2005 - later rescinded. An agency created by the state, the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority, is seeking private funding for the bridge. The most recent official cost estimate for the first phase of construction is $706 million, according to the authority." Seems these monsters of the good old 'earmark' days take on a life of their own, even after a wooden stake through the heart!
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:35,301 Points:2,398,095 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 4:28:16 PM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse the great lakes could really use this right now
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,294 Points:1,649,905 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 4:22:03 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse One more piece of political lard from Senator Stevens' legacy of largesse. Now it is a Ferry to Nowhere!!! The revelations of this old goat's largesse will continue for the next decade as we learn about his hidden projects at Elmendorf, Eielson, Sparvohn, and Clear AFBs, and other little known to unknown military bases and posts in Alaska Rather than giving it away to some South American dictator or the Soviets, sink it off the Florida Keys to create a great reef and marine sanctuary, the most expensive one in the world! Perhaps Royal Dutch Shell may offer $500 million while they continue their Arctic exploration binge.
SammyAdams Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:3,197 Points:820,355 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 3:45:02 PM Ignore SammyAdams Report Abuse From the article: "Its reinforced hull can power through ice, and blade-like "ice knives" were designed to break up chunks that might be sucked into the engine." ================================================================ I can think of one of our islands here that could use a new ferry, but not sure that we need one with blade-like "ice knives" as we are experiencing (as I have been told) "global warming" here in Florida.
whatif81 All-Star Author San Antonio Posts:683 Points:219,730 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 3:30:05 PM Ignore whatif81 Report Abuse wasted money
ddor Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,117 Points:265,545 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 3:22:41 PM Ignore ddor Report Abuse wonderful ,tax dollars at hard work
txequitygas All-Star Author Houston Posts:932 Points:183,060 Joined:Dec 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 2:51:37 PM Ignore txequitygas Report Abuse I am glad our ferries don't cost $3 million a year to run.. That does make it better to have all drive 75 miles each way..
msf1527 All-Star Author San Bernardino Posts:686 Points:160,095 Joined:Nov 2012	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 2:41:33 PM Ignore msf1527 Report Abuse Wow
bullfrog42 All-Star Author Texas Posts:858 Points:175,630 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 2:40:54 PM Ignore bullfrog42 Report Abuse Waste of taxpayer money
mastermariner Champion Author Texas Posts:4,820 Points:520,450 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Feb 9, 2013 2:29:53 PM Ignore mastermariner Report Abuse Our tax dollars at work