What is a Fox Willie?

Miller’s Landing welcomes an addition to the crew

We had to do it.

Folks, all great things come to an end. Sometimes, that means an amazing opportunity for a new beginning and we think this is one of those times.

We have arranged to replace our tried and true 6 passenger fishing platform the Michael C with a brand new custom built inspected landing craft. For those that loved the Michael C, that doesn’t mean she’s getting put on the shelf – it just means we had to face the facts with the soon to come cost of a repower, and it boiled down to the hard truth that replacement was a smarter choice.

This boat – a high tunnel, high speed, USCG inspected passenger transporting aluminum catamaran has been designed through collaboration with ACI boats out of Port Townsend.
It’s something we think will usher in a new era of adventure tourism for Miller’s Landing, and offer the visitors of Seward an amazing level of flexibility in their trip planning.

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing the Fox Willie:

(Clicking on the image will show a video of a boat with the same hull design)

The Fox Wilie (named for Grandpa Fred Week’s nickname in the Viet Nam and Korean Wars) is a 34′ x 13′ aluminum catamaran with seating for 16 passengers and up to 4 crew members, she will be inspected for 20 people. Proudly featuring a landing gate on the bow, which allows crew to walk on and off right from the beach, and a full walk through – walk around cabin. It has a marine head, accessed from the port stern quarter, built in fish boxes, below decks storage for excess gear and even a beverage station. A fish cleaning table/bait station with saltwater wash down sits across the aft portion of the vessel. She can carry kayaks on top of the house – and when needed to perform as a water taxi platform exclusively – along both sides of the house. Enough storage to pack 6 doubles on deck and more above, she can carry enough kayaks for each passenger when required.

Our goal is to be able to take folks that want to go fishing, and not exclude their family members that want to go sightseeing or kayaking, without cheating either person out of a full day experience. We have a really good plan, check it out!

These boats have a high tunnel, and tall, proud hulls with reverse chine, almost jumping out of the water to get on step. The catamaran design is proven to reduce sea sickness as much as 70% with less side to side action.

Click on the map to see a fully interactive route on Google Maps with photos!

OUR BRAND NEW 2017 “FOX WILLIE” Charter Vessel and Landing Craft will depart at 6AM –
Venturing Southwest out of Resurrection Bay, past the barrier islands and through the Harding Gateway. Before your coffee even gets cold, it will round Cape Aialik, cruise through Pete’s Pass, and then cross Dora Passage and down Granite Pass to Northwestern Fjord.The drop off beach within Northwestern is just inside the terminal moraine – we arrive here at 8AM and drop off up to 6 paddlers and a kayak guide for a small group 8 hour expedition trip through this pristine, remote fjord filled with tidewater and hanging glaciers alike, not to mention a myriad of terrestrial and marine wildlife. Sightseers, Kayakers, and even the most robust outdoorsmen will submit to the intense, raw, unbridled scenery as we quickly unload kayaks and gear. From there, we leave the paddle propelled purveyors pondering, and take up to 10 passengers on an all day combination fishing charter, targeting Halibut, Salmon, Rock Fish and Ling Cod at world class locations as close as 15 minutes from the drop off beach. With plenty of room to fish and stretch out on the large custom built boat, we will work to fill that empty space with limits of delicious world class eats. We will work the water until around 3:30, whereupon we break away to pick up paddlers at 4:00 from the same glacial ice riddled lagoon they were left in. Another 2 hour journey home full of reflection and storytelling – the whole group has the benefit of returning together, checking out photos and taking more with the catch of the day back at the Landing. The likelihood of intercepting a breaching Humpback Whale or charging Bull Orca on the way home as good as ever.We think this trip has an amazing potential for our visitors on so many levels, here are a few:

Parties stay together at start and close of the day, but are able to explore different interests in a high quality small group setting without any time lost.
Morning transport logistics for different excursions are mitigated – you don’t have to wake up at 4AM to drop the people who want to fish off at the harbor just so you can have the car to get to your sightseeing tour later.
Lodging options available on site and within walking distance of the boats departure – stay where you play and save money on car rentals, parking lot fees, and insurance
There’s a massive cost benefit to the trip – groups booking both kayaking and fishing will be given a large discount on the kayaking portion of the trip. In itself, it is the only day trip to Northwestern Lagoon sold in the area at this time, a completely staggering pristine environment outside of standard operating areas for day trips.
The boat comfortably carries 16 passengers, but really spaciously fishes 10 – once the paddlers are off the boat, there is a ton of room for the fishing crew to enjoy a boat that might otherwise fish 14-16 passengers.
With a 3 day trip, we can put 15 people in front of a glacier in a kayak, and have all 15 go fishing twice to maximize their chances at catching annual limits of Halibut and daily limits of Salmon, Rock Fish, and Ling Cod by rotating the crew through each adventure. For a comfortable and refreshing mix of the best Seward has to offer, all at an incredible price.
The boat allows access to remote locations for these excursions – you don’t have to choose between that amazing Eco Lodge in Resurrection Bay or that amazing Hostel or Yurt and your charter or sightseeing tour anymore. We can arrange packages to pick up groups right at the lodging, and return them after the trip is done and the fish is processed. Additionally, there are a ton of great rental houses within walking distance of Miller’s Landing which we can arrange for you and your group, making the AM commute a snap.
Everyone gets a full 4 hours of sightseeing from the comfort of the boat, and 8 hours on their respective kayaking and fishing trips.
If weather is an issue, the glacial bays of the Kenai Fjords are not only very protected by their high mountains and many coves and inlets, but they afford us a myriad of contingency plans to keep trips from being cancelled altogether. We can fish in the Fjords, and even if the weather is in-climate in the Gulf we can usually still kayak there too. Additionally the catamaran design is lauded as reducing sea sickness by 70% in prone passengers.
We can guarantee exclusive boat use for single groups of 14 or more – if you buy 14 seats, we will block off the remaining two. This is essentially the charter of the entire 16 passenger 4 crew platform for whatever your needs or interests may be. This is a $700-$1000 per day savings depending on the breakdown of the trip, and over the course of a 3 day package a significant group booking discount.

Interested in learning more? Email or Call!
Reservations@millerslandingak.com / 1-907-331-3113

Northwestern Lagoon Landing Beach

The Kayaking Portion of the trip is the ultimate in seclusion and beauty in what Seward has to offer.
There are only two tour boats that visit this area daily, and those trips are at the highest price point for good reason. The Fjord is the furthest from Seward that any operator visits, and at this time is only marketed on overnight expeditions. It’s the subject of massive and recent glacial recession and it’s apparent in the raw and staggering landscape that awaits you.
Black Bears, Harbor Seals, Whales and Sea Otters are prevalent in this area, and in 8 hours your 15 mile round trip paddle will allow you the opportunity to see it all from the land and the sea.
The ice here climbs straight out of the water and into the Harding Icefield, and frequent calving and avalanches are the norm. The Terminal Moraine nearly made Northwestern a Piedmont glacier, locked away from the ocean by a lagoon entrance, but approximately 50 yards of the East side of the moraine remains deep enough to be safely navigated by passenger vessels.
The result? A routinely placid, lake like marine environment that usually remains calm regardless of the weather outside the lagoon. The depth climbs from 500′ outside the lagoon entrance, to 30′ at the crossing, and drops down again 600′ or more into a more or less literally uncharted world. The NOAA navigational charts for this area remained blanked out until as recently as 15 years ago, with the caption reading simply “Area frequently filled with ice”.
Food and beverages are provided, as well as guide and all gear – experience isn’t necessary.
Come and explore this wonderful place with us!

The fishing charter that we provide from the grounds outside of Northwestern Lagoon is the exact location this haul of fish came from. Less than 45 minutes from the drop off location we are able to pull full limits of Halibut of all sizes, Salmon of all species (we specifically target Silvers but routinely catch Pinks, Chums, and Kings), Red Snapper / Yelloweye Rockfish, Black Sea Bass and Ling Cod. We bring the fish home so we can share photos like this with the whole crew back at the landing. For perspective, those are grown men standing on coolers, and that pipe wasn’t bent to start with.
Fishing is fishing, but we work very hard to provide a high quality experience regardless of the outcome, and we’ve been doing it for a long, long time – since 1982 in fact. We are not more interested in getting back to the harbor than we are catching fish – this matters to us. Let us take you out and show you this incredible fishery!

For Tour Groups, Corporate Interests, or Large Families:
We manage a 10 person and a 6 person charter permit. This means in a given day we can take up to 16 people to try for their limits of halibut.
To fish those permits and to provide taxi services and charter options we have:

A 16 passenger catamaran charter and water taxi platform new for 2017 described above “Fox Willie”
A 16 passenger monohull charter and water taxi platform “Michael A”
A 6 person cabin aft charter platform “Michael C”
A 6 person custom landing craft and charter platform “Thomas Sea”
A 6 person half day charter platform for Salmon, Ling Cod, and Rock Fish “Latitude 60 / Lucky Penny”
A 6 person open skiff and utility vessel for bay transport “Salty”
and a fleet of rental skiffs for self guided needs.

The odds are if you’re trying to accomplish something with a group of people, we can help, and we can do it at a very competitive price point. Please contact us with any special needs or group interests.

907-331-3113 or reservations@millerslandingak.com