Alaska officials work to close sale of state’s fast ferries

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Officials say the Alaska Marine Highway System is working to finalize the sale of its fast ferries to an overseas bidder. CoastAlaska reported that Spanish catamaran operator Trasmapi SA offered about $4.6 million for the M/V Fairweather and M/V Chenega ferries. The offer was less than half the $10 million reserve price set by the state. Marine highway system General Manager John Falvey told the Senate Transportation Committee that the state has a responsive bidder and officials were continuing to work through the sale process to close the deal. The ferries were taken out of service in 2015 and 2019.