Heritage Harbor could use a second boat launch, Yancey says

Port commission candidate Eric Yancey would like to see a second boat launch ramp constructed at Heritage Harbor, "right alongside the one that is there."

The ramp can get busy and backed up, he said. "One thing would be nice during the summer over at Heritage ... a second boat launch."

The 20-year-old harbor has a large parking area and is popular with people who trailer their boats in and out of the water. It's much closer to town than the launch ramp at Shoemaker.

Another pinch point for boat owners during busy times can be The Marine Service Center every spring, Yancey said. "All of a sudden everybody who needs jobs done wants it done."

The first-time candidate said the port commission runs well, as do the harbors, and he is comfortable with the port and harbor fees that Wrangell charges. He said the borough's charges are around the middle of what other harbors in Southeast charge for facilities and services.

Yancey is looking forward to the improvements that will come from the pending rebuild of the Inner Harbor, Reliance and Standard Oil floats. The borough earlier this year received a $25 million federal grant for the project and hopes to get the final piece of $3 million from the state to fully cover the work.

"It's an exciting time to get on with it," he said of the project, calling it "phenomenal."

He sees long-term benefits of relocating the barge ramp and freight staging area away from the downtown waterfront to the former 6-Mile mill property, which the borough wants to redevelop for industrial uses.

However, he said he understands the added time and cost of hauling freight from a barge landing six miles out the road.

"Nobody has a crystal ball. The reality is tourism will become more and more important," and opening up more of the downtown area for tourism and other businesses could be positive, he said. "The waterfront is a vital part of Wrangell."

Yancey operates the Rain Forest Islander, a landing craft that can carry about half-a-dozen vehicles and up to a few dozen passengers.

In addition to taking tourists on short tours in front of town or carrying a film crew up the Stikine River, he has been making trips for 20 years to Banana Point on the south end of Mitkof Island to ferry school sports teams to and from Petersburg. He also runs the Islander in the other direction, south to Coffman Cove, to bring teams to competition on Prince of Wales Island.

He started his charter business with Breakaway Adventures in 1989, later selling off that operation and boats while keeping the Islander, which he runs under the name Breakaway Ferry and Freight.

"Years ago, I thought about running for the borough assembly," when he was managing Breakaway Adventures, but decided "I couldn't dedicate the proper amount of time" to elected office.

Now he has the time and would like to serve on the port commission. Yancey is one of four candidates for two seats on the commission in the Oct. 1 election. The winners will be the top two vote-getters.