Herring Cove Marina - Proposals Welcome!
The Sitka Economic Development Association is requesting proposals from companies or individuals wishing to explore the development, construction and operation of a private, for-profit marina/moorage in Sitka, Alaska. Herring Cove is located in Silver Bay fjord on Baranof Island, six miles by highway from downtown Sitka. The submerged land is owned by the State of Alaska and available for long term lease. The uplands are owned by the City and Borough of Sitka and are available for sale or long-term lease.
Sitka is the largest boating community in Alaska with a large commercial and charter fishing fleet, and an even larger number of recreational boats. A number of fishing and resort lodges are also well established in Sitka, making this a destination for pleasure craft and yachts traveling the coastal waters of Alaska.
There are 1,337 boat slips in five mooring basins owned and operated by the City of Sitka. All of the slips are full and no slips are held for transient vessels. Transient vessels are hot-berthed where possible. As of March, 2009 there are 314 Sitka boats awaiting permanent moorage assignment. Of the boats on the waiting list, the Sitka Harbormaster will hot-berth those boats as well, if possible. The wait for permanent slip assignment can be several years as slips are only assigned through attrition.
Boat Size |
Number on Waiting List |
|---|---|
22 ft. to 29 ft. |
43 |
30 ft. to 36 ft. |
84 |
37 ft. to 46 ft. |
123 |
47 ft. to 58 ft. |
54 |
59 ft. and above |
10 |
TOTAL Boats |
314 |
Source: Sitka Harbormaster as of March 2009.
In addition there are eight float planes on the waiting list for space.
Each year there are over 800 transient commercial and pleasure boats
visiting and operating out of Sitka. Sitka is a world-renowned West
Coast yacht destination port. Many pleasure yachts charter in the
Inside Passage and use Sitka as a base of operations in the summer
and more would do the same except for a lack of transient moorage.
Boats presently calling and/or operating from Sitka include the Revelation (178’), Ice Bear (175’), Sea Sedan (175’),
Big Easy (125’), Steadfast (115’), Anchor W (114’),
Black Tie (112’), Indigo (105’), Tigress (98’),
Reflections (98’), Northwind (95’), Caledonia (90’)
and Mariah (87’) to name just a few. Because the Harbormaster
is not able to reserve space, each time these yachts come
to Sitka they take a chance no moorage will be available and they
will have to anchor out and lighter to shore.
Sitka is also one of the largest ports in the world for commercial
fishing. Salmon, halibut, black cod, rockfish, shrimp, king crab
and Dungeness crab are all harvested in Sitka’s waters. Hundreds
of fishing boats are berthed in and operate out of Sitka during
the summer and winter fishing seasons.
Sitka’s present moorage rates are $1.90 per foot per month
for permanent moorage. Moorage includes potable water sources and
electric service. The Sitka Ports & Harbors Commission is anticipating
having to raise public moorage rates in the
next couple of years. There is one private marina (Cove Marina)
in Sitka with 55 slips that is also full with moorage rates of $4.40
per foot per month. There is no potable water or electricity
to those slips.
Sitka has no covered moorage in a marine environment with over 95”
of rain per year and an average of 36” of snow. Sitka’s
climate is very mild as the city is on the Japanese currents, which
keep the area warm and wet in the winter months.
Feasibility of a Private, for Profit Marina
While competing with a government entity at $1.90/foot/month may not be feasible for the private sector, these rates will likely go up in the next two years because income will not cover future capital expenses. Two of the mooring basins were previously owned by the State of Alaska and for the past 30 years the State has deferred all maintenance on them. The City of Sitka has now taken over those basins and one basin will have to be entirely replaced while the other will have to be rebuilt. The City is not planning any new public marina.
None of the 1,327 slips the City owns and operates are covered. There is a very large demand in Sitka for covered moorage of any type or configuration. The Harbormaster believes there are many in Sitka who would pay a premium to cover their boats.
Private yachts have to take whatever transient moorage is available as the Harbormaster does not take reservations. This means a multi-million dollar yacht may be moored next to a 60-year-old commercial trolling boat.
Marina Construction
The Sawmill Cove Industrial Park Board of Directors hired the engineering firm of Peratrovich, Nottingham and Drage (PND) of Juneau, Alaska to develop a preliminary design for a marina at Herring Cove. CLICK HERE to read the PND Engineering Reports.
Proposals
The Sawmill Cove Board of Directors will accept all Letters of Interest.
Letters will only be accepted by mail (no e-mail) and then only on
company letterhead. The letter should indicate the financial ability
of the party to construct a marina in Sitka. The proposer should assume
and understand there are no state or federal grants available for
this project nor is there City money available.
The Board further understands a Letter of Interest is not a commitment
to construction but an expression of interest to explore, in earnest,
the concept of a private, for-profit marina in Herring Cove.
For more information, you may visit the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park
web site at SawmillCove.com and for more in-depth information about Sitka, go to Sitka.net.
The City of Sitka web site can be found at CityofSitka.com and information about the marine support industry in Sitka, go to SitkaMarine.com.
