Harbor Notes 2020

Crescent Harbor is being re-built – installation of the timber floats is “going really well,” per Sitka Harbormaster Stan Eliason.

Eliason is hoping to get boats back into their stalls as soon as possible. The Harbor Dept. has a time-lapse camera recording the progress of the renovation and reviews the footage once-a-month. This will provide an archivable record of the project.

“The utility portion,” says Eliason, “will be substantially complete by June 12th. That will be the final portion. We are actually hoping to get boats returned to stalls earlier.” During the project, boats are spread out through the Sitka Harbor system.

Specifically, the current project involves an upgrading of structures and services. Timber floats 1-4 are from the late 1960s and those are the ones being replaced. Floats 5-7 are cement and from the early 1970s – that will be Project Phase 2 – “we are hoping that it will make a roomier situation.”

What is happening with the other harbors? Well, says Eliason, the next small job is “to install anodes on the steel pilings at Thomsen Harbor.” This should happen “in the near future, which will be good, because it will mean less corrosion on the steel pilings.”

Moorage rates did go up on 7/1/19. In 2020, additional moorage rate increases are expected, between 3-5% (to be decided) and again to take place on July 1st.

There are no plans at the moment to de-commission any infrastructure.

Charges for use of the Eliason Harbor Drive-Down Load Dock and the Tidal Grid have been implemented. The Load Dock is NOT to be used as moorage – it is not free after the first 24 hours.

The Harbor Dept. did receive the FY 2019 Raw Fish Tax but will not know about this year until September or later.