Passengers on the Kennicott ferry will spend the night in Unalaska. The vessel’s captain ordered a delay because of a storm expected later this evening. The National Weather Service is forecasting winds up to 65 knots with five-foot seas.

Captain John F. Falvey is the General Manager of the Alaska Marine Highway System. He says the last leg of the ferry’s trip into Unalaska was bad enough.

"She was operating in 20 foot seas en route and gale-force winds. Now that she’s in port, the captain and myself are opting to keep the ship alongside the dock," said Falvey.

The Kennicott is moored at the Coast Guard dock for the night. Falvey says the ferry should be ready to go at 8 o’clock Wednesday morning -- about 28 hours behind schedule. But even that departure time is dependent on the weather.

"We hope that the storm has passed and the Kennicott can sail from Dutch Harbor going northbound through the chain," said Falvey.

The Kennicott is filling in for the Tustumena ferry, which has been delayed in shipyard several times due to shoddy repair work.