Taku (V)

The Taku served the larger of the inside passage communities (such as Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Sitka), its route primarily stayed between Ketchikan and Skagway in Southeast Alaska. On April 23rd, 1963 the Taku struck a rock outside Petersburg in a minus tide. This vessel returned to service on May 3rd, 1963. On August 8th, 1963 two boys entered the wheelhouse when the Taku was preparing to leave Petersburg, and engaged the engines. The resulting damage to the dock left the vehicle loading ramp out of commission for three months. On July 29th, 1970, at about 1240 am this passenger car ferry ran aground on Kinihan Island, outside of Prince Rupert, BC while enroute to Prince Rupert from Juneau AK. The officer of the watch apparently missed a marker buoy and this vessel hit the shore hard enough to knock over some trees. Within minutes the ESSO tanker Nanaimo arrived on the scene followed by two Department of Fisheries patrol boats and two fishing boats. The Nanaimo had been sailing just behind the ferry and witnessed the incident. The Nanaimo took off the passengers and transported them to Prince Rupert. All the passengers on board were evacuated safely, and the cars were transferred to the BC Ferry Queen of Prince Rupert. The two vessels berthed stern to stern and 58 of the vehicles were transferred to lighten ship. Commercial barges took another 13. Two commercial units, semi-trailers without drivers, were left aboard. Four tugs pulled her off the rocks. None of the 297 passengers or 45 crew were injured.

In 2015 this vessel was laid up. This vessel was sold and on 28 April 2018 beached in Alang, India, to be broken up