The Sitka city assembly has given the go-ahead to a plan for building a boat haul-out and shipyard at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park by late 2024.
The option calls for a 150-ton boat lift, haul-out piers, washdown pad and an EPA-certified wastewater treatment system. The haul-out would be located next to the old Alaska Pulp Corp. utility dock, with an adjacent work yard for about 20 vessels.
“I think that this will be a crucial piece of infrastructure that is worth investing in,” Assembly Member Kevin Mosher said at the July 27 meeting. “Even if we don’t have all the money right now … we’ve got to get this done. It’s very important.”
Sitka has been without a boat haul-out since April 2022, when Halibut Point Marine Services closed down after 17 years of operations. The lack of a boatlift and service yard in the community sent work to Wrangell’s Marine Service Center, which saw a 20% to 30% increase in haul-out requests, Wrangell’s port director said two weeks after the Sitka closure.
The Sitka assembly’s 7-0 approval of the concept plan came a few days after the city received word of a $1 million Denali Commission grant to help build the haul-out, which will serve the regional fishing fleet.
Voters last October approved dedicating up to $8.18 million — proceeds from the sale of Sitka Community Hospital — toward the haul-out and boatyard. The funds available are expected to be enough to have the haul-out in operation by the end of next year, though even with the $1 million Denali Commission contribution the project is still some $5 million short of the amount needed for a complete boatyard facility.
The piers supporting the boatlift will be designed to accommodate a 300-ton lift when more funding becomes available. Wrangell’s Marine Service Center includes a 300-ton lift, along with a 150-ton and 40-ton lift.
The larger boatlift is on Sitka’s list of improvements to be made as funds become available through grants or other sources for a more complete and larger facility. The overall estimated cost for a fully functional boatyard is estimated at $14.1 million.
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