Split Whittier tunnel passes?

[Grizzly Man]

Can you split tunnel passes to Whittier? I checked the website and I was looking at buying a 30-pack of passes for a class B1. Until this year I just paid each time so I don't know the details on them. If anyone wants to split a book, PM me. Or if this is not legal and should remove my post, let me know too!!!

[Larsenvega]

I've bought 30-packs of tickets the last two seasons and split the cost with a buddy. They come in a booklet of two tickets per page, each with a unique bar code that the tunnel worker scans before letting you through. By buying the 30-pack, you bring the cost down to $15 from $20. Not a bad deal.

Oh, buy your tickets by 1 April and you can avoid the Whittier seasonal sales tax as well! Same goes for your annual launch permit.

[AKluvr95]

I found the tunnel link easy enough but all I could find on the Whittier site was parking [$10 a day or $200 anually]. Did I just miss the boat launch link? http://whittieralaska.gov/small_boat_harbor.html

[Larsenvega]

You'll have to call the Whittier Harbor directly in order to purchase an annual launch permit. I believe they are still $120, but you'll have to check to be certain. Their phone number is (907)472-2327, ext. 6.

[fullbush]

You'll have to call the Whittier Harbor directly in order to purchase an annual launch permit. I believe they are still $120, but you'll have to check to be certain. Their phone number is (907)472-2327, ext. 6.

IMO the launch fee is bogus. The state built that harbor, the ramps were just rejuvenated by the state, why does the city of Whittier get to charge launch fees? Does Seward or Homer charge a launch fee? Cordova certainly doesn't. Whittier posts some half-wit that is missing her front teeth, some where by the ramp but she's usually off smoking a cigarette while theres a 4 boat trailers all jack knifed, 2 or 3 vehicles submerged to the dashboards, 2 guys fist fighting while their wives are ripping each others hair out, meanwhile theres a full blown rescue happening w/ swat crews using the jaws of life to peel some old blue hair out from under a chevy duramax. The orientals off the cruise ship decide its picture time right in the middle of the whole shabang. The whole cause of the problem is some guy that decides its time to organize the tackle box when his boat is front and center on the ramp and the "launch attendent" decides its time to close a lane to go to the harbor store and get another pack of marlboros. I love that town!

[Larsenvega]

One other thing...the parking permit that the harbor sells is only to park you car or truck without a trailer. If you want to park a truck/trailer combo, then you'll have to pay the guys in the pothole-city parking lot behind the tracks. The annual parking permit for that lot last year was somewhere between $400 to $500. Horrible! Needless to say, I pay them on an as-used basis.

[Homertime]

Does Seward or Homer charge a launch fee?

Homer charges $12 I think. It always galls my fishing buddy when she wants to launch her skiff to go across to 'Poot. Her beef is she pays city home owners' taxes. Most everything around the Homer harbor kicks something back to the city. For example, at the fuel dock they impose a 6% city sales tax. That's almost a quarter a gallon on $4.00 fuel. Petro sells a **** load of fuel there. I'm not a big complainer. In my opinion it's a beautiful harbor, well maintained, with fairly clean facilities. "fullbush", I don't think you missed anybody there. You got 'em all.

[skydiver]

Seward charges a launch fee, but it's much less than Whittier. No, the help at the Whittier ramp isn't quite the help that's needed. My most recent experience is when I motored up to the ramp to take my boat out and all of the cones that tell you if that lane is for launch or retrieve all said launch. I pointed it out to her but I don't think she ever went down to the end of the docks to make it right.

Just wait until they take out the ramp by the harbormaster office. Then a cluster will ensue for sure.

[AKBighorn]

Most everything around the Homer harbor kicks something back to the city. For example, at the fuel dock they impose a 6% city sales tax. That's almost a quarter a gallon on $4.00 fuel. Petro sells a **** load of fuel there. I'm not a big complainer. In my opinion it's a beautiful harbor, well maintained, with fairly clean facilities.

I don't mean to hijack this thread however I was surfing fuel prices last year while I was in Homer to see if it was worth driving into town vs buying gas at the harbor. I came across this article http://homertribune.com/2009/05/home...tant%E2%80%99/ . Needless to say it humors me if the above comment about 6% tax is true. Guess I didn't realize cities imposed taxes on fuel or is Homer an exception?

Then again I'd be happy to see fuel under $3 a gallon today.

[Grizzly Man]

I think Seward charges a combined launch/parking fee. (Still less than Whittier) I know I don't have to wear a neck brace when parking my truck at Seward.

FULLBUSH - It's the show that I think we pay for. One day I'm just going to show up with a cooler and park my butt on the bench and enjoy

[Homertime]

if the above comment about 6% tax is true.

Actually, I think I made a mistake. I believe the city tax at the fuel dock is 7.5%. It's listed on each sale ticket. I'm not down there right now. Maybe someone else could confirm.

[Grizzly Man]

I have the passes. I bought a 30 pack of B1. Let me know if you want to split. Hopefully the copy/paste works,

Class
B1

* Passenger vehicles pulling trailers, except as otherwise specified

$20

$175
(17.50 ea.)


$450 ($15 ea.)
$900

* Recreational vehicles less than 28 feet long pulling trailers, except as otherwise specified (Towed vehicles are considered as trailers)Recreational vehicles 28 feet or greater not pulling trailers* Trucks with a gross weight less than 12,000 pounds pulling trailers* Note: Trailers in this class cannot be more than 8.5 feet wide, or 14 feet high,
the total combined length cannot be more than 75 feet

[aksnowmo]

After 23 years boating out of Whittier, I'll trade my Whittier to Bear Valley trip for tickets in to Whittier. Can you imagine what people would pay to get out of Whittier if it was free to get over there?

The tunnel work has now been paid off (10 year return) but the fee has not gone down or been removed.

[fullbush]

I'm done w/ Whittier. I'll be taking my boat s8 to Valdez this year. The Whittier spill drill is in Valdez anyway. I'll tow the boat from Wasilla to Valdez do the drill and put it on the ferry to Cordova. When the sound season opens I'll catch a tow from a tender out of Cordova and go fishing. I already feel a tremendous weight lifted off my shoulders. I have grown to hate that tunnel and the whole routine of 500.00 parking, the junky amenities like the 30.00 an hour crane, getting charged to drop off used oil, the boat launch, the tunnel fee, the traffic and stress. You can have it. Plus Valdez fuel and harbor is cheaper and you're closer to the good fishing. If I lived in Anchorage or Girthrod I'd use Seward

[Paul H]

As I recall Seward is $10 to launch, $5 to park, and it takes you a couple minutes to walk from where you park to the launch. Better fishing, and fishing is closer to town. But, the water is not as protected as whittier.

My basic criteria for whittier is that I need to plan my trips so that I don't launch or retrieve on a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday, and stay out for several days. So long as I follow that plan, I have great trips.