It’s been a strange few weeks for Capt. Michael Schlechter.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Schlechter, who served on the F\/V Fairweather for 15 years, steered the Fairweather on its final voyage in Alaska<\/a> last month and piloted the new Alaska-class Ferry Tazlina up and down Lynn Canal last week.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “It’s been weird because I was the last captain on the Fairweather,” Schlechter said. “I took it down to Ketchikan, locked the door behind me and left, and then came over here and started the reverse process here.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t The door to the Tazlina was wide open Sunday, and about 800 people walked through the new ferry as part of an open house. Schlechter was one of many Alaska Marine Highway System or Department of Transportation and Public Facilities employees meeting people and answering questions. Many of the new crew members were crew members on the Fairweather, Schlechter said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t