Digital Bob Archive

On a fine day in summer during the first one third of this century there were probably few more pleasant short boat rides anywhere, and certainly none more scenic, than a trip on one of the Gastineau Channel ferries. And the price was hard to beat. The fare was 25 cents, whether to Douglas, Treadwell or to Sheep Creek on the two or three trips the ferries made there each day. And at times, when the Alaska Treasure Mine was operating, the ferry went all the way to Nevada Creek. A round trip to Sheep Creek covered about eight miles; if the run was to Nevada Creek it was thirteen miles. And apparently, depending somewhat upon the whims of the skipper, a second fare was seldom collected from those who chose to make the round trip. During a few years the fare was even lower. That was from 1915 to 1917 when the Island Ferry Company placed the Gent on the run and dropped the fare to 15 cents. Manager J.P. Corbus of the Juneau Ferry & Navigation Company not only met the competition but began offering commuter tickets at two for a quarter.

In addition to magnificent mountains on each side of Gastineau Channel, ferry riders in those years saw icebergs, some of them huge, from Taku Glacier, and often were able to watch whales and sea lions as the vessel made its rounds.
No statistics are available as to how many people rode the ferries solely for sight-seeing but by 1913 the company apparently saw some potential in the excursion field. With this in mind it had the Amy built at Seattle. She was 65 feet in overall length and reportedly cost $10,075. She could seat 95 persons but was rated to carry a larger number. On her voyage to Juneau the Amy towed three large scows and a 34-foot cruiser for Grover Winn and arrived here at the end of March, 1913. Very soon after that the safety regulations for passenger vessels were considerably amended. Under them the Amy needed two additional watertight bulkheads and some other modifications. Rather than remodel her, the company sold her to the Alaska Juneau Mining Company for use as a tug and ordered another and larger vessel.

This was the 93-foot Alma, launched in May, 1914, at the Nilson & Kilez boat yard in Seattle. She was designed by a well known Seattle marine architect, L.E.
\"Ted\" Geary, had four water-tight bulkheads including a forward collision bulkhead of steel, and other safety features. She was the largest motor passenger vessel built on Puget Sound up to that time. There are diverse statements about her power plant: One gives her a pair of 150-horsepower Speedway gasoline engines; the other says it was a single 250-horsepower direct reversing gas engine. Whichever it was, her top speed was reported as 14 knots.

The Alma arrived in Juneau on June 12, 1914, in command of Captain George Rose and went on the ferry run five days later. She was much larger than was required for everyday traffic, however, and much of her work was on holidays and other special occasions, and on excursion trips.