We have been planning this adventure since March. In June we purchased tickets for the Alaskan Marine Highway to ride the ferry from Bellingham WA to Hains AK. Today I opened up my email only to find:

“Please be advised that due to failure of the starboard main engine, all sailings of the M/V Columbia have been canceled for the remainder of the summer season.”

Yes we are holding tickets on the M/V Columbia and that means we had to quickly find a new ride north. With a some schedule juggling, a couple of calls and a little luck we are back in business. We will have to leave a day earlier and drive an additional 1,000 miles in order to catch a different ferry out of Prince Ruper, BC Canada, but we are back on track.

The M/V Columbia was the largest ferry in the fleet. In Prince Ruper we will drive aboard the M/V Matanuska. Its claim to fame is that it was built in 1963… and is still in service.

These little adversities are what makes a great road trip and adventure. The ability to adapt, change and overcome what the road throws down shows clearly the Last Great Road Trip will not be stopped. Certainly not stopped by something as trivial as a ten ton diesel engine failure.