City to Install Public Crane Downtown

Stacked fish crates. (Photo by Fiona Baxter / Flickr)

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Vessel owners will soon be able to hoist their catches with a public crane downtown.

Harbormaster Lon White spoke with the Kodiak Fisheries Work Group Wednesday at its monthly meeting.

He said the public crane will be the first he’s seen in the city during his 36 years in Kodiak, and they’re following after Homer’s example. The Kachemak Bay city has eight cranes of various sizes.

White said his biggest concern about the crane is liability. He says the public will need training to operate it.

“There’s an online class, an OSHA approved class, that they’ll take self-directed. They’ll get a certificate that shows they can pass the test, and then they’ll come to the harbor office and get an orientation by harbor staff who’s certified to run the crane and then demonstrate proficiency and use of the crane. And then last but not least, they’ll sign a user agreement, the liability release.”

White held up a blank, rectangular card at the meeting.

“Harbor users can get these assigned to them, and this key card will turn the crane on and off. It’ll bill it to that harbor user’s account, and it’s billable in 15 minute increments at a price of $25 for 15 minutes.”

White said that same key card will grant access to the dock’s new public showers.

He said the city is working on engineering and design this month and they hope to install the crane at Oscar’s dock by the end of December.

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