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Marine Capabilities

  • Ice-free, naturally protected ports, harbors, and marine industrial facilities
  • Strategic location 690 miles north of Seattle, 932 miles south of Anchorage
  • Rapid access to North Pacific shipping lanes
  • Reliable, rapid access to overlapping Puget Sound supply chain
  • Proximity to Alaska Ship & Drydock: A Vigor Industrial shipyard and marine industrial service facility
  • 212 resident marine industry sector businesses, ready to respond to private sector demand
  • Reliable barge service makes Ketchikan competitive with peer communities in the Pacific Northwest
  • Proximity to Ketchikan International Airport, and Ketchikan General Hospital (regional medical hub)
  • Tax rates lower than Puget Sound and other regional competitors
  • Pro-industry, pro-development community

Ward Cove Industrial Complex

The Ward Cove Industrial Complex is one of the largest ice-free, deep-water ports in the State of Alaska, and is suited to supporting large-scale marine industrial operations. The facility’s varied infrastructure includes a 800 foot concrete dock (-28’ to -40’ mllw), 200,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space, and a 1 million gallon fuel farm. Click here to read more about Ward Cove.

Cruise Ship Berths

The City of Ketchikan’s Ports & Harbors include four deep-water panamax-sized berths, with mllw depth ranging from -40’ to -100’ . The berths are used by cruise ships from June to September, and are available October to May to accommodate large vessels seeking ice-free winter moorage. Read more about the berths here.

Georges Inlet Marine Complex

A former cannery, the Georges Inlet Marine Complex offers a combination of ice-free, deepwater moorage, warehousing, and three-phase power in a discrete, roaded location within short driving distance of Ketchikan International Airport. The facility offers dockage with a depth of -60 mllw, and is proven to be suitable for use by VLCC-class vessels. Read more about the Georges Inlet facility here.

Ketchikan Shipyard | Vigor Inc.

Ketchikan’s Shipyard offers a comprehensive array of shipbuilding, repair, maintenance, and marine industrial services well-suited to challenging Arctic and Alaskan conditions. The shipyard is operated by Alaska Ship & Drydock, under ownership of Vigor Industrial – the largest provider of shipbuilding, repair, and industrial services in the Pacific Northwest. Noteworthy projects include the M/V Susitna – a variable draft, icebreaking catamaran designed for expeditionary warfare, and widely hailed as one of the most complex surface vessels ever built. Read more about Ketchikan’s shipyard here.

City of Ketchikan Harbors

The City of Ketchikan’s Ports and Harbors include harbors suitable for vessels up to 90’ in length, with depth to -100 mllw. Ketchikan’s harbors are conveniently located near downtown areas, and feature a wide variety of infrastructure and amenities suitable for meeting the needs of vessels and crewmembers alike. Read more about the City of Ketchikan’s Harbors here.

Saxman Seaport

The Saxman Seaport is the closest US port to Canada’s Port of Prince Rupert – one of North America’s busiest transshipment hubs. The Seaport offers rail/road/marine intermodal connectivity via a barge transfer bridge rated to 160,000 lbs, protected by a rubblemound breakwater. The facility offers significant freight staging and outdoor storage space, as well as a 30,000 sf warehouse, all conveniently located 2 miles south of Ketchikan by road. Read more about the Saxman Seaport here.<

Ketchikan provides deep-water, ice-free ports and harbors in a strategic location 690 miles north of Seattle, and 932 miles south of Anchorage. The community’s proximity to North Pacific shipping routes, frequent barge service, and reliable, rapid access to the Puget Sound supply chain makes Ketchikan competitive with peer commuities in the Pacific Northwest. The Ketchikan International Airport, Ketchikan General Hospital, and Ketchikan Shipyard make the community a regional service hub for Southeast Alaska.

Download a summary report on Ketchikan’s Marine Industrial Core:

Download a compilation of all deepwater port/harbor infrastructure profiles here.