The MV Tustumena is a ferry, part of the Alaskan Marine Highway, which connects Homer in the Alaskan Peninsula with Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian island of Unalaska. Also known as the Trusty Tusty, this boat joined the Alaskan fleet in 1964. It is one of two ferries in this fleet that is prepared to sail in open sea, which reflects in part the need to face sometime rough conditions in the Aleutian chain.
The Trusty’s long life serving as the only public link between mainland Alaska and the Aleutians is coming to an end. A replacement for this boat is currently underway. This is the end of an era!
We have decided that the best way to start our search for monkey flowers in the Aleutians is to arrive there by boat. The motivation is in part to try to emulate the sea trip taken by Langsdorff (although he travelled in the opposite direction from west to east). In part it is also an opportunity to visit other islands along the way during the short ferry stops. There won’t be much time while the ferry calls at these islands but perhaps an hour or two is enough to spot out monkey flowers in places like Chignik, Sand Point, King Cove, False Pass, Cold Bay, and Akutan. Of course, a 2 1/2 day boat trip in Alaska will hopefully give us a chance to see amazing landscapes and wildlife… if weather conditions allow, of course!
http://alaskaferryvacations.com/Ferry_CabinInformation.htm
http://www.alaskaferry.com/docs/MV%20Tustumena.pdf
http://www.alaskatouradventures.com/vessels_Tustumena.html