Captain H. J. “Red” Lockert was born in Chicago on March 23, 1916 and raised in Puget Sound (Bellingham). Captain Lockert died in Port Ludlow, WA on June 19, 1990.

The following two paragraphs are quoted from a legislative memorial to Captain Lockert:

He began his maritime career with service in the U. S. Navy from 1934 to 1938 where he was assigned to the U.S.S. West Virginia. After his military service he worked briefly for Puget Sound Tug and Barge Company as a ship fitter, and then spent 25 years as a tugboat captain on oceangoing tugs on the Aleutian Chain and throughout Southeast Alaska for the Army Transportation Service, Portland Tug and Barge, and Alaska Freight Lines. In 1962 Red took a job as a marine surveyor for U.S. Salvage Company of Seattle. In 1964 Captain Lockert was hired for the first time by the Alaska Marine Highway System as their Port Captain. In 1965 he was promoted to Marine Superintendent, and in 1966 Governor Bill Egan appointed him Director of the Alaska Marine Highway System.

Captain Lockert served Alaska as the Director of the Alaska Marine Highway System from 1966 to 1976, some of its formative years. During Red’s tenure at the helm, Alaska’s Ferry System increased its fleet from the original three ships to nine, and expanded its routes to include Seattle and other Alaskan ports in addition to the three served in Territorial days: Juneau, Haines and Skagway. The Wickersham was purchased and sold, three of the system vessels, the Malaspina, Matanuska, and Tustumena were lengthened and the Columbia came on line during Red’s stint as director. Red stepped down as Director of the Marine Highway system in 1976, but continued to serve the State of Alaska as a consultant to the system. He was the State inspector on the construction of the newest addition to the Alaska Marine Highways, the Aurora, which came on line in the fall of 1977.

[Sources: Alaska State Legislature “In Memoriam, Captain H. J. Red Lockert,” June 29, 1990, Social Security Index, information in MS 207, Scrapbook 6, p. 65]

Marine Highway History Highlights

1948 Chilkoot (a privately owned ferry) plies between Tee Harbor and Skagway

1957 Chilkat, built by J.M. Martinas Shipbuilding Company of Tacoma, Washington, begins run between Tee Harbor and Haines

1958 Statehood; Chilkoot sold shortly thereafter

1963 Ferries designed by Philip Spaulding, naval architect, begin service from Prince Rupert to Skagway (Built by Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company, later Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction) a. Malaspina b. Taku c. Matanuska

1963 Chilkat and Nenana Ferry also operating in Southwest

1964 Tustumena, built by Christy Corporation of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, entered service between Kodiak – Homer – Seward

1968 Wickersham entered service to operate on a limited waiver, being built in Norway. Service between Vancouver, BC and Skagway, in June

1969 Reservation system instituted

1970 Bartlett, built by Jeffboat Inc. of Jeffersonville, Indiana, begins service between Cordova –Valdez—Whittier; Chilkat moved to operate between Auke Bay--Hoonah

Taku runs aground on July 29 on West Kinihan Island, eight miles west of Prince Rupert. British Columbia ferry, Queen of Prince Rupert, assists in removing vehicles

1971 Tustumena runs aground. Columbia plans laid

1972 Malaspina stretched completed; on line June 6

1974 LeConte, built by Peterson Builders in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, enters service in May.

M/V Columbia, built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction (formerly Pacific Bridge and Drydock) of Seattle enters main line service between Seattle – Skagway, July 5. M/V Wickersham sold to Finnish Company, June 1974, to sail as Viking 6

1976 Malaspina converted to fast food service

1977 Computer reservation system planned.

1989 Columbia makes last sailing from Pier 48 in Seattle on September 29 and the first scheduled sailing out of new terminal at Bellingham on October 6, 1989.

[Sources: Highway on the Sea by Stan Cohen (1994) and History of the Marine Highway System by W. R. (William R.) Hudson (1977).]