Mark Galla prepares to take clients out on the maiden voyage of Bear Necessity on June 11, as the cruise liner Seabourn Sojourn arrives in Wrangell. The vessel is one of three new additions to Wrangell's charter fleet this year, all coincidentally originating from the same manufacturer in the Idaho Panhandle.
The local tourism sector has seen some logistical gains this season, as a trio of new boats are added to Wrangell's outfitter fleet.
Mark Galla, of Alaska Peak and Seas, launched a newly upgraded craft from the city dock just last week. Galla has been taking visitors up the Stikine River and to Anan Creek since 1987, going into the business full-time from 1990 on.
"It's a 30-foot Bentz jet boat, 18-passenger, two crew," he said of the craft, named Bear Necessity. The aluminum boat was manufactured by Bentz Boats, in Lewiston, Idaho. The make is a popular one among Wrangell guides, and this particular model is an upgrade from Galla's previous craft, which had a passenger capacity of 12.
John Verhey of Alaska Vistas also just put another Bentz in the water, with a newly-built model arriving from Idaho at the end of May.
"It's a 29-foot Bentz jet boat which was recently given a certificate of inspection letter by the U.S. Coast Guard for 18 passengers and two crew," he said, with two six-liter Chevrolet engines producing 375 horsepower apiece.
Christened the Theia, this vessel is a match to another of Alaska Vistas', the Tethys. The pair get their names from Greek mythology, Titan sisters who were the children of Uranus and Gaia.
Eric Yancey of Breakaway Adventures is another Bentz client, picking up the Stikine Dream in 2000 and the Ocean Pro in 2003. About the same time Alaska Vistas was putting Theia in the water last month, Yancey was launching his newest addition from Bellingham, a yacht-class Bentz he named Freedom Chaser.
"It's totally different from all the other Bentz boats," he explained. Recently repurposed from private recreational use, the 37-foot vessel can carry up to 30 passengers. The wide-setting craft also features stadium-style seating and fixtures like a sink and flush toilet.
Verhey anticipated his additional boat will allow Alaska Vistas to expand its touring capacity, scheduling concurrent trips around the wider area.
"We have a lot of independent passengers coming into Wrangell looking for less congested ports," he said. "We can really capitalize with three charter boats on cruise ship days."
Galla explained cruise ships make up a growing source of clientele for local charters, and in particular their passengers make up a large share of his business. An increase in vessels are due to stop into Wrangell this year, reflecting a wider trend in Southeast Alaska that is projected to continue. The industry saw shrinkage for some years after 2008 due to a nationwide recession, but in 2017 had
rebounded enough to set new records. Alaska in 2018 is expected to see 1.17 million tourists come in by cruise sailings, jumping to 1.31 million passengers next year.
"This year we had a few more sailings. It looked like a good time to maybe step up the game a little bit.
Next year's looking more favorable yet. The tourism industry seems to be picking up the pace there, and I figured if I was going to do it, this was the time to," said Galla.
Confidence in
Wrangell's share of the tourism industry factored into Alaska Vistas' decision to invest in an additional boat, Verhey said.
"The timing is never perfect for anything, but now with metal prices and tariffs and that sort of thing happening, I don't think we could build a boat for the same price point as we could this year. So it was a good time for capital investment," he said. "The dichotomy of the cruise ship business is that you have to have the equipment for the cruise ships to come, and the cruise ships won't come unless you have the equipment. You have to do a little leap of faith and do some capital investment to provide the market for the passengers so we can recruit more boats."
Due to its size, Yancey envisions his newest boat filling a different niche from the other vessels in his business' fleet. Rather than runs upriver, the boat will be geared more toward group activities and inter-island transport. Breakaway does quite a bit of wintertime transportation, catering to group work trips and school sports programs.
"It was just the right opportunity, I guess, to move into a boat this size," he stated. Noting maintenance difficulties and tightened scheduling the state ferry system has experienced in recent years, Yancey believes the additional vessel could perhaps fill a role in connecting Wrangell with neighboring communities like Petersburg and Prince of Wales Island.
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