Things to do / Travel Guide
Visitors who are interested in renting their own watercraft in the Alaska Panhandle should begin by renting a small 16'-18' aluminum skiff. It's the perfect size for practicing boating skills while simultaneously exploring the remote bays and coves for crab and shrimp, salmon fishing streams, or those great, secret halibut spots. Even if you don't fish, just the scenery is well worth renting the boat. The Alaska Panhandle offers everything from coastal cliffs to towering glaciers! Most skiffs come with 25- to 40-horsepower motors plus a smaller engine called a kicker that can be used for trolling or as an emergency backup if the main engine fails.
For more experienced boaters, there are larger, more-powerful boats available. These come in the 22'-26' range, with covered cabins, seating for seven people, and larger outboard motors. A U.S. Coast Guard certification will most likely be required for this type of craft.
For those not completely familiar with boating, chartered boats complete with experienced crews or guides are available.
If you go at it alone, just remember your abilities and stay within them on the water. There are some great outfitters in the region who will rent you everything you need.
Most visitors who rent boats do so for fishing purposes, but they are also excellent for just taking in the breathtaking scenery, so here are a few spots to make your trip worthwhile:
- Blind Slough (pronounced “slew”) - just south of Petersburg; a great place to check out hundreds of beautiful swans in the spring and fall; just be sure not to disturb them
- Frederick Sound - the place to check out the sights along the Inside Passage
- Wrangell Narrows - gorgeous scenery just north of Petersburg
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