Sitka’s new marine haulout is open for business. Stakeholders gathered at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park last week (9-18-25) for a ribbon cutting ceremony, a sign that facility operators are ready to start pulling boats out of the water for repairs.
The city’s quest to build a haulout began after the privately-owned facility that served Sitka’s fishing fleet announced it would close its doors a few years ago, forcing the local fleet to travel to other Southeast communities for boat repairs. Before he snipped the ribbon with a pair of oversized, red scissors, Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz reflected on that journey.
“When we lost our haul out, we really didn’t know what we were gonna do for our fishing fleet. Having one of the largest ports on the West Coast, obviously, we needed this facility here in order to keep our boats local and our trades people local,” he said. “So really, really glad that the citizens wanted to support this. Really, really glad that this project did not move at the speed of government. What was it? Just two years ago, we voted to to allocate funds for this, and now we’re hauling boats.”
In 2022, Sitka voters overwhelmingly voted to dedicate over $8 million toward construction of the haulout, but the price tag ended up being closer to $12 million for the first phase. Sitka Economic Development Association Executive Director Garry White said while the boat yard is basic right now, there’s more to come.
“This could turn into something very huge. You know, we have one of the largest fleets in the state. We have a really dedicated, great fishing community. This is here to serve them and also act as an economic generator for our community, and create jobs for people that want to work on the vessels,” White said.
While the facility is city-owned, it will be operated by Highmark Marine, a Kodiak-based marine fabrication company that secured a five-year contract with the city.
Sitka’s haulout will begin hauling boats today (9-22-25).
