Port

Seward

4.3Seward, United StatesPrince William Sound and Kenai

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VHF channel: 17

Full service harbour at the head of Resurrection Bay on the south coast of Alaska, base for the Kenai Fjords fishing and tour fleet and northern cruise terminal for the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the Gulf of Alaska through Resurrection Bay, a deep fjord open to the south with depths in excess of 200 m. No tidal entry constraint. The harbour sits behind a rock breakwater at the north end of the bay. Williwaws can blow hard off the surrounding peaks. Harbourmaster monitors VHF 17.

Practical

Around 650 berths plus transient moorage on the inner floats. Diesel and petrol at the fuel float. Water and shore power on all pontoons. Heads, showers and a laundry at the harbour office. A 50 ton and a 330 ton travel lift serve the boatyard. Chandlery, grocery and hardware shops within five minutes' walk along Fourth Avenue.

Ashore

Trailhead for the Mount Marathon track starts on the edge of town, 600 m of elevation gain in 2 km. The Alaska SeaLife Center on the waterfront keeps rescued marine mammals and seabirds. Kenai Fjords National Park headquarters is on Fourth Avenue, with the Exit Glacier road branching off the Seward Highway 5 km north of town.

History

The town was founded in 1903 as the ocean terminus of the Alaska Central Railway. From 1908 it served as the winter port for the Iditarod goldfields, with dog teams running supplies and gold along what became the Iditarod National Historic Trail. Seward sits at Mile 0 of the trail. The 1923 completion of the railroad to Anchorage made it the main gateway to interior Alaska.