MV Kennicott

M/V Kennicott is a mainline ferry vessel for the Alaska Marine Highway System.

M/V Kennicott
History
Name	Kennicott
Namesake	Kennicott Glacier, Wrangell Mountains
Owner	Alaska Marine Highway System
Port of registry	United States
Builder	Halter Marine Group, Moss Point, Mississippi
Launched	1998
Commissioned	1998
Homeport	Valdez, Alaska
Identification	IMO number: 9145205 MMSI number: 368250000 Callsign: WCY2920
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Tonnage	12,635 GT
Length	382 ft (116 m)
Beam	85 ft (26 m)
Draft	17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Decks	One vehicle deck
Ramps	Aft, port, and starboard ro-ro loading
Installed power	12,350 hp (9,209 kW)
Speed	16.75 knots (31.02 km/h; 19.28 mph)
Capacity	748 passengers 80 vehicles

Constructed in 1998 by the Halter Marine Group in Moss Point, Mississippi, the Kennicott has been one of the most vital vessels to the Alaska ferry system since its inception. It is nine-deck, ocean certified vessel and is also able to serve as a command and logistics vessel in the event of disaster or oil spill. The ferry system, taking advantage of her ocean-going status, sends the vessel on a monthly trans-Gulf of Alaska ("cross-gulf") voyage beginning in Juneau and concluding in Kodiak. On this voyage, the Kennicott is able to provide service to the isolated Gulf of Alaska community of Yakutat and is the only vessel to do so. The cross-gulf voyages are very popular and quite often sold out. The Kennicott and the Tustumena are the Alaska Marine Highway's only accredited ocean-going vessels. The Kennicott also serves as a mainline relief ferry in the event other ferries are out of service.

The Kennicott's amenities include a hot-food cafeteria; cocktail lounge and bar; solarium; forward, aft, movie, and business lounges; gift shop; 51 four-berth cabins; and 58 two-berth cabins. The aft portion of the Kennicott appears bloated because there is an external car elevator built into the superstructure. The elevator is used in ports without roll-on ramps allowing service to ordinary docks. Tustumena is the only other ferry with this feature.

The ship struck a humpback whale in summer 2014.