It’s hard to sneak something this big into Anacortes, and it is big: 100 feet long and ten feet in diameter. Even more interesting is that it will become part of a 50 by 400 foot cruise ship floating dock destined for a tiny Southeast Alaska village.
Transpac Marinas will use eight pontoons like this one, which we spotted being hauled north on Q/R Ave. on Friday, to assemble a floating cruise ship dock for the small Tlingit fishing village of Hoonah, Alaska, population 860 according to Wikipedia.
Transpac Marinas President Dan Jankelson said one other pontoon was brought into Anacortes on Thursday and that six more will arrive in the coming days. He said the company assembling the dock for Icy Strait Point, a resort business owned by the Huna Totem Corporation about 35 miles west of Juneau.
Once completed, the dock will be towed north, probably sometime this summer, Jankelson said.
Icy Strait Point already is catering to tourists going north on cruise ships. They offer a private port for those traveling with, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess, Oceania, and Regent Seven Seas cruise lines.
Icy Strait Point’s Web site boasts, “When guests visit our historical town, which was once home to fishing cannery, they can partake in 21 different excursions, dine at one of our many restaurants or shop at our locally owned stores. Our staff is dedicated to providing a one-of-a-kind experience for each visitor by sharing Alaska’s natural beauty and Native Culture. “