Courtesy of Nancy Heise

It’s official: the Tustumena will be delayed in shipyard through the end of July.

The shipyard’s general manager said last week that he didn’t think the vessel would be ready on time, and now, the Department of Transportation confirms. They’ve canceled the Tustumena’s July 7 run from Seldovia to Unalaska.

The late July sailing to Unalaska is still on the schedule.

This is the third time that the Tustumena’s return to service has been pushed back. The Kennicott ferry picked up some of the Tustumena's route in April and May, providing limited service to the Aleutian Chain, but according to the DOT, the Kennicott’s summer schedule is too busy for it to fill in again.

The state has put out a request for information on an alternate ferry that could serve Kodiak Island communities in early July. That request does not extend to the Aleutian Islands.