Sitka faces the open Pacific directly, and Eliason Harbor wears that exposure well. This is Southeast Alaska's most historically layered port city, and its designated transient harbor — 240 slips in the Eastern Channel, steps from a marine chandlery and blocks from the oldest Russian Orthodox cathedral in North America.
Eliason Harbor is approached via the Eastern Channel of Sitka Sound, well-charted on NOAA ENC US17327 (Sitka Harbor and Approaches). From seaward, vessels typically round the outer islands and transit Sitka Sound from the south or southeast; the inner approach past Japonski Island into the Eastern Channel is calm in most conditions, though Sitka Sound itself can be rough in any Pacific swell or sustained south to southwest wind fetch. The harbor entrance is marked and guarded by a rubble-mound outer breakwater supplemented by floating breakwater sections. Vessels over 100 feet should raise Sitka Harbor on VHF 16 before arrival to confirm berth assignment; the harbormaster staff are on duty seven days a week from 8:00 AM to 11:30 PM. Register at the harbor office within 12 hours of arrival; fees must be paid in advance or they are doubled.
Eliason offers a full range of facilities expected at a modern municipal harbor. Restrooms and showers are available on-site above the harbor floats, along with a coin laundry. Potable water is available at the docks year-round. Shore power is extensive: 30-amp 120V service, 50-amp 240V, and 100-amp 240V pedestals are all available, making Eliason suitable for everything from a 30-foot cruiser to a large expedition yacht. A sewage pump-out station is on-site and Eliason is certified under the Alaska Clean Harbors program since 2016. A drive-down float handles loading and unloading, a gear and work float with power is available for minor maintenance tasks, and a tidal grid is accessible for bottom painting or inspection. Fish-cleaning tables are at the south end of the breakwater. Free parking for up to 175 vehicles is available adjacent to the harbor. There is no fuel dock at Eliason Harbor; the nearest marine fuel is at Petro Marine at 614 Katlian Street - essentially a one-minute walk from the harbor office - where diesel, gasoline, biodiesel, avgas, and propane are all available.
Eliason is the City and Borough of Sitka's designated transient harbor, with approximately 240 slips and maximum LOA of 210 feet. Transient moorage is priced by vessel length. A 25% discount applies for fishing vessels holding a valid Sitka fish ticket. Shore power is metered separately. The harbor office line for administrative inquiries is (907) 747-4017 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM); for all after-hours vessel concerns, hail VHF 16. The harbor email is [email protected].
Sitka is unusual among Southeast Alaska ports in that it sits on the outer coast of Baranof Island with direct Pacific Ocean exposure. Sitka Sound can generate significant chop and swell in southwesterly and westerly conditions, and Gulf of Alaska storm swell does occasionally penetrate the outer island chain. Inside the harbor, the breakwater system provides substantial protection in typical conditions. The Eastern Channel orientation means the harbor has good shelter from the dominant southeast storm tracks, and Japonski Island provides a wind shadow from the west and southwest. Residual swell from the northwest can push through breakwater gaps during major Pacific storm events. In practice Eliason is a comfortable anchorage in the vast majority of visiting-vessel weather windows.
Eliason Harbor's location on Katlian Street puts cruisers within easy walking distance of nearly everything Sitka has to offer. LFS Marine Supply at 475 Katlian Street is three blocks from the harbor - one of the better-stocked marine chandleries in Southeast Alaska. Provisioning runs to AC Lakeside Grocery (full-service Alaska Commercial grocery with hot deli and local seafood counter). The downtown Lincoln Street corridor - with St. Michael's Cathedral (the oldest original Orthodox cathedral in North America), local restaurants, and the Sitka Sound Science Center - is a flat ten-minute walk east along the waterfront. Sitka National Historical Park (Totem Park), where Tlingit and Russian cultures collided in 1804 at the Battle of Sitka, is about a mile from the harbor and among the most historically significant sites in Alaska. Wildlife awareness is standard practice in Sitka: black bears are active throughout the community, particularly near fish-cleaning facilities and dumpsters. Dispose of fish waste properly and do not leave food unsecured on deck.
Fuel and shore power available at Eliason Harbor.
Laundry, groceries, a patch of grass for the dog, the nearest decent meal — here's what's within reach of Eliason Harbor. Tap any pin on the map for the details.
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