Alaska's first state ferry the Chilkat. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Marine Highway System Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The future of the Alaska Marine Highway was part of the discussion with the First Things First Alaska Foundation on Action Line. As a little boy, board member Neil MacKinnon remembers the first voyage of the first Marine Highway vessel, the Chilkat, on April 18, 1957. He remembers his father telling him, "This is the start." MacKinnon said it really felt great. 'We were finally connected to the world. I remember as a kid that feeling. It was like, 'yes', here comes the world. We can go and they can come."