By Editor, on December 29th, 2011 SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state ferry service isn’t going to start turning away hefty passengers, but it has had to reduce the capacity of the nation’s largest ferry system because people have been packing on the pounds.
Coast Guard vessel stability rules that took effect nationwide Dec. 1 raised the estimated weight of the average adult passenger to 185 pounds from the previous 160 pounds, based on population information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
…The new stability rules may have a bigger impact on the smaller charter fishing boats, such as those that take anglers fishing out of the Pacific Ocean ports of Westport and Ilwaco, Young said. Any vessel that carries more than six paying customers has to be inspected and certified by the Coast Guard as a passenger vessel.
Read full article in the Seattle PI.
By Roger Maynard, on September 20th, 2011 SOUTHEAST ALASKA–Veteran weather watchers, pilots, and mariners see a familiar story when we study the weather charts. Today’s surface analysis shows a large, deep low pressure system centered over Kodiak Island, with the jet stream carrying some stronger, small “post-tropical” storms across the Pacific Ocean to the Southeast Alaska and British Columbia coasts. Periods of heavy rain and wind will be the norm this week.
The Daily Sitka Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/mZ02ie) the Amsterdam and Westerdam canceled their port calls Tuesday and Wednesday because of poor weather.
The last cruise ship of the year for Haines, the Statendam, scheduled for tomorrow–Wednesday, September 21–has cancelled this week’s sailing, apparently also due to weather.
View the current short term forecast and hydrologic outlook.
By Roger Maynard, on August 24th, 2011  Haines Harbor HAINES–The Haines Borough Assembly met Tuesday evening as a committee of the whole, to discuss proposed changes to Title 16 of the Haines Borough Code, “Harbors.”
Much of the one-hour meeting was consumed by presentations by Haines Harbormaster Ed Barrett and Boat Harbor Advisory Committee members Bill Rostad and Jim Studley, who presented the assembly with a proposed rewrite of Haines Borough Code Title 16. Read more->
By Roger Maynard, on May 24th, 2011  Tourists from Skagway board tour buses at the Haines Port Chilkoot Dock while paving equipment works in the background. HAINES–The first cruise ship of the season, due to arrive in Haines tomorrow, will be greeted by the sights and sounds of a cruise ship parking lot still under construction. The construction timeline was delayed by heavy underground frost and a cool spring, which delayed paving plans. At this point, the project is nearly finished, except for laying of asphalt.
UPDATE: Read more->
By Editor, on March 9th, 2011 SKAGWAY–At a joint Haines and Skagway Borough Assembly work group meeting Monday evening, members of both bodies discussed subjects of mutual interest, including upper Lynn Canal port development, tourism, the shuttle ferry service, hydropower and the Skagway-Haines energy intertie.
Though the meeting only lasted a little over an hour, there was general agreement that it was a good start toward the two boroughs working together for mutual benefit. Read more->
By Gary Lidholm, on March 1st, 2011  Tourism Director Tanya Carlson The tourism-related job she just moved from may have been in Wisconsin but Tanya Carlson, new director of tourism for the Haines Borough, completed her college degree right here in Southeast Alaska. “After falling in love with Southeast while attending UAS, it is good to be back,” Tanya said while setting up her desk for her first day on the job Tuesday.
Read more->
By Roger Maynard, on September 15th, 2010  Spirit of Glacier Bay aground in Tarr inlet, 2008. U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Roger Maynard
Cruise West’s press release on September 8, 2010, announcing that it was closing operations and would be restructuring under new ownership, left some tour operators in Haines wondering if they will ever be paid for recent services.
“We knew Cruise West was having trouble by the middle of the 2009 season,” says Chilkat River Adventures owner Karen Hess. Read more->
By Gary Lidholm, on August 13th, 2010  Ryndam in Haines by Gary Lidholm
When John Binkley, Director of the Alaska Cruise Association led a Haines delegation aboard the Holland America ship Ryndam, he commented that this industry represented Alaska’s “other pipeline.” “And this pipeline should not run dry,” he added.
Read more->
By Roger Maynard, on July 19th, 2010  Sea Princess departs the Port Chilkoot dock Photo by Roger Maynard Following the signing of legislation adjusting the head tax from $46 per passenger to $34.50, the Alaska Cruise Association (ACA) officially terminated its lawsuit against the state.
A stipulation filed with the U.S. District Court for Alaska dismisses with prejudice the lawsuit that was filed against the state last September.
“We are pleased to resolve this situation so amiably,” ACA President John Binkley said. “Senate Bill 312 sends a positive message that Alaska values its cruise visitors and the state is open for business.”
Read more->
By Roger Maynard, on April 29th, 2010 by Roger Maynard
 The World docked in Haines. Gary Lidholm photo House Bill 134, passed in April of last year, allowed the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to write permits with standards that are more reasonable than that set by a voter initiative in 2006.
Last Thursday, the Alaska DEC released relaxed discharge rules – but everyone isn’t happy.
Read more->
Uncategorized By Roger Maynard, on January 23rd, 2010  Click to view cartoon Haines environmental activist Gershon Cohen has been removed from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s cruise ship wastewater science panel after several complaints were received from some cruise ship advocates. The Alaska Science advisory panel was created by legislation pushing back a deadline for compliance with ship discharge requirements.
“This should be a panel of experts that are independent and can exercise independent judgement,” said Alaska DEC Commissioner Larry Hartig, “It would just be hard for someone who has been…advocating a particular position…to revisit the issue just from a technological perspective.”
Read more->
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| Nate Beeler
The Columbus Dispatch
May 16, 2012
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Lynn Canal Map & Marine Traffic (refresh for current ship positions)
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Haines, Alaska 99827
Editor:
Roger L. Maynard
P.O. Box 784
Haines, Alaska 99827
editor@hainesnews.net
The Haines Alaska News is a public information service of the Alaska Alliance for Commerce, Inc., a grassroots movement organized to advocate for small business and a free market economy in Alaska.
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