Southound Ep 07 - The Longest Ferry in North America | Juneau to Bellingham on the Alaska Marine Hwy

[@tearoftaste4183]

My son and I drove May 2023 from Panama city Florida to Bellingham took the Columbia to Haines AK. trip of a lifetime.

[@Famagogo]

That is the trip of a lifetime. Great Dad move!

[@nathanbyd570]

About how much was the ferry ride? Did you take your car on the boat? Im in Tallahassee and hoping to do the same thing at some point.

[@lynnestamey7272]

I did that trip reversed, Haines to Bellingham in 2006. My sister and I had a 4 bunk cabin, it had a huge window that was at least 4 feet wide. The food was excellent and the lounge was fun for a glass of wine or a beer. You're right, it was a trip of a lifetime, better than a cruise ship. The rangers had great programs.

[@RobertColfack]

The inside passage is so beautiful been 12 cruises from Seattle to Alaska on 2 cruise lines Norwegian, and Holland America...I enjoyed them all had a great time... I been on a total of 29 ocean cruises in my life, and 5 river cruises...I seen one ferry cruise from Denmark to Ireland to Iceland that the ship had almost everything a cruise ship would have except night entertainment, casinos, and health centers...

[@Famagogo]

Awesome, maybe you can do the Alaska Ferry next. It’s very different than the cruise ship experience. Bring your car and say a while or go to really remote villages that few people get to experience.

[@tomb.8485]

Interesting comment about the locals going on the ferry to ear cheaper. Didn’t think about that. Thanks.

[@Famagogo]

Yes, it was interesting for us to learn too, like a floating restaurant that comes once a week.

[@ericdanielson4177]

Taking my van on that ferry is on my bucket list.

[@Famagogo]

It was on mine too. It's a very unique and adventurous experience. I hope you get to do it soon.

[@ericdanielson4177]

19 months till retirement. I'm near ONP in WA so Bellingham is not too far from home for me. @@Famagogo

[@Famagogo]

@@ericdanielson4177 It sounds like you have an amazing trip to Alaska on your horizon. And easy access to Alaska living so close to Bellingham. You will love it! Go for a boat ride and end up in the last frontier. How cool is that.

[@marasievers]

Super helpful. Great info and insight, Peter!

[@Famagogo]

Thanks for that. I'm glad you liked it.

[@cnevle]

This is a super helpful video! We are definitely taking the ferry our next trip to Alaska. Looking forward to more tales from your trip south. Revel on!

[@Famagogo]

Glad it was helpful! It's such a wonderful combination with the van+ferry. Thanks for watching!

[@brianwhidden]

Thank you so much for this video Peter, im excited to possibly do this in 2024.

[@Famagogo]

You are welcome! I hope you do it, t's a great trip.

[@Mark-wz4ez]

Well done!

[@johncrosby2131]

Excellent information about the ferries and routes.

[@Famagogo]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and have a great trip!

[@jasonbrink4237]

Had no idea what it cost.. wheeew.... stays on bucket list.

[@Famagogo]

It's not an alternative to the Alaska Highway but a very unique experience on its own. It's the only way to see much of SE Alaska. I also see a benefit in not driving the 1500 miles (closest equivalent) with $6-7 per gal diesel and the wear and tear on the van. But yes, it has its cost, too.

[@albertahaynesworth2689]

Thank you its on my BUCKET LIST

[@Famagogo]

Awesome! It's a wonderful journey.

[@CherishAlejan]

Great video indeed👏👏👏

[@Deinonuchus]

I took the Columbia from Bellingham to Juneau back in 1994. Haven't been on one of the newer ferries.

[@Famagogo]

Thats great! I bet the same ships you were on are still in service.

[@ilblues]

I first sailed the AMHS the summer of '72 out of Seattle on the Malaspina. 3 other boats took us all over the SE panhandle: Taku, Matanuska, and MV Wickersham. I looked them up a few years ago; the Taku and Wickersham have been scrapped. Reportedly, the Malaspina was retired as the cost to repair was too great. I can't find a definitive statement on the Matanuska. We had planned a cruise on American Cruislines (Juneau to Juneau) this June, but we had to postpone a year. If recovery from knee surgery goes well, we're hopeful of taking the Columbia to Skagway where my family came from - with side trips to Sitka and Juneau. Gustavus is part of the American Cruise next year. I'm so looking forward to it - over 50 years since I was last there. It's such a beautiful peaceful cruise. I don't recall tent camping on the decks. But people were laid out all over inside on bedrolls and in the lounge chairs. My buddy and me took our guitars and spent afternoons on Malaspina's sun deck, playing Beatles tunes and leading singalongs. Probably won't do that this time. 😊

[@Famagogo]

That's a great story. It's going to be a great trip for you to return to Alaska. I did see 4-5 older ferries in dry dock in Ketchikan. I think the Matanuska might be one of them. I was told they hope to have them in circulation again as a labor shortage is overcome. Best of luck with your knee surgery. I know that feeling all too well.

[@nathanbyd570]

Great video, thanks

[@Famagogo]

Glad you liked it!

[@johncrosby2131]

I didn’t realize there was so much of a seasonal shift, tourist summer versus off season.

[@Famagogo]

Yes, it changes. Some Ports like Pelican don't get any/ or just monthly service in the winter. But the scedule is always changing so it's really to important to check with AMHS to get the current schedule.

[@tjhannon4223]

Thanks for the awesome video Peter. We've taken the Washington State ferries and we've taken a cruise ship to Alaska, so this is next. At the beginning of this trip did you drive up to Alaska and if so what route did you take? Also, did you take bikes on the back of your Revel? Thanks again!

[@Famagogo]

Hello, Thanks and I'm glad it was helpful. Sounds like the Alaska Marine Highway is the next step. We drove up the Cassiar Highway this time as we did the Alaska Highway in 2016. They are both great routes, but the Cassiar is more remote and wild. You can see the video on it here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6a4h6qMoqmEpNE You will also see the videos on the Dempster and Dalton highways. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXOYqYlrYruebc0 & kzbin.info/www/bejne/hp-qe593raySn7c These took us all the way to the Arctic Ocean and the edge of North America. It was an awesome trip.

[@mariashimizu5830]

Thank you for the super helpful video, especially the Kodiak trip. I was wondering if you have to plan ahead and book the ferries, or can you do it on the fly?

[@Famagogo]

Hello and thanks for watching! You can book the ferries either way but you will need little flexibility to book on the fly. It might be 5-10 days before the next ferry comes through. We book our sailings and then plan the trip around that.

[@JD-yd3sj]

If you camp on the deck do you have access to a shower?

[@Famagogo]

Yes, There are showers in the normal bathrooms and in the private rooms. So everyone can access showers. That was a great perk!

[@VanDoghies]

This content about the Ferry rides has been super helpful. When we did the BC Ferries last year we actually had to stay in the Van with our dogs. Do they give you the option to stay in the Van with dogs or do you have to leave?

[@Famagogo]

I'm glad you're enjoying it! You aren't allowed to stay on the car deck or in your vehicle. But people with pets are allowed to go down for short stints to care for their pets. The Ferry provides a dog clean-up station for dogs to go potty on the car deck and owners to clean this up. You see a bit of this in the video. It depends on the sea conditions, but normally, about every 4 hours, there will be a car deck call. It's also a chance for anyone else to get/leave items in their vehicles. We did this in 2016 with our Lab, Tucker. It worked well, but he wasn't sure about relieving himself on the ferry deck. He was convinced he would get in trouble. But eventually, he got over that, and all was well.

[@VanDoghies]

That's great information thanks! We have an elderly pup that needs to be on meds that makes her go way more frequently than 4 hours so we will need to plan accordingly. Thanks again!@@Famagogo

[@AlexanderVasilakis]

what month did you travel?

[@Famagogo]

This was shot in September.

[@mikemuck3319]

Alaska Marine highway limits vehicles to 30' thought you said semi's. My rig is 53' so send that option down the road.

[@Famagogo]

They can be longer than 30', but have to be booked at the terminal as oversized vehicles. We took a 44' RV with trailer on this same trip in 2016. There were big trucks on most of our ferry trips this year too. Maybe give them a call and see what is best for your specific situation. It will likely very from ship to ship.

[@WanderingBat]

Man... i looked up the prices. $4k+ for one person + a van?? Why not just drive?

[@Famagogo]

Yeah, it's not a discounted way to get to Alaska. It's a way to see part of Alaska you can't reach any other way. You can make the big drive up to Haines or Skagway (still expensive with $6-$8 per gallon diesel). Then take smaller less expensive ferry jumps to Kodiak or wherever. But it is an amazing trip to see some very interesting and remote landscape and communities in SE Alaska. But no matter how you do it going that far comes at a cost.

[@ninetyfaith8830]

Please tell me the cost. I heard it is over $6K for 1 car......🤑

[@Famagogo]

You will need to price this with your vehicles measurements using the Alaska Marine Highway website. We also have extensive information in our SE Alaska Field Guide that we provide to our Patreon patrons. www.patreon.com/Famagogo/membership Thanks for watching!

[@tennesseeterri]

you heard wrong, it is nothing close to that just for a regular size vehicle. Keep in mind you add up cost to transport vehicle, add in your ticket price per person, and add in a room if you want one. You can bring a cooler of food or you can buy food on board. It's not a cheap trip. You also have the option of sleeping in many other areas.. If you don't want to use the website, you can always give them a call. They are very friendly and helpful and will give you accurate information.

[@beebjnu3906]

As a 34 year Juneau resident I have never seen the longest ferry in north America here in Juneau. That is a total lie. The ferries are the worst in at last the nation. Getting in and out of town is such a hassle.

[@Famagogo]

From Google: The Bellingham-Ketchikan ferry route is the longest ferry ride in the USA. It is over 2,200 miles long and takes 38 hours to complete. The Alaskan Marine Highway System operates the ferry, which connects the cities of Bellingham, WA, and Ketchikan, Alaska, on the Inside Passage. In our case, we boarded the M/V Kennicott in Juneau and continued to Bellingham. This is the longest ferry leg in North America, + the trip from Juneau to Ketchikan for added measure. You live in a fantastic place. We loved our time in Juneau! Thanks for watching!

[@zarnell]

Shut up Karen, The Blue Canoe's are a fantastic service but unfortunately the State and Local governments are being over run by liberalism. It is absolutely destroying our beautiful state the same way it did California, Oregon and Washington.

[@jrounsley]

You discredit yourself because the title of this is untruthful AMHS would agree, its not their longest voyage.

[@Famagogo]

What do you think might longer? After doing much of the AMHS personally and a Google search will tell you that the route from Bellingham to Juneau is the longest. Bellingham to Ketchikan: 38 hours, Ketchikan to Juneau: 20 hours. Thanks for watching!

[@jrounsley]

@@Famagogo 74 year resident of Juneau. Haines to Bellingham is longer & Skagway to Bellingham is even longer.

[@Famagogo]

Well sure, if you pile up a bunch of shorter trips. This title was more refrencing the one non-stop sailing from Ketchikan to Bellingham. Thanks again. You live in a wonderful place. We can't wait to get back up there.

[@billtravis523]

Not watching a vid where the host has to be in every frame.

[@Famagogo]

Ok, thanks for the update.