Western Alaska

» View Sailing Schedule
» Download Sailing Schedule (PDF)
» Download Village Service Chart (PDF)
» Download Packaging Specs (PDF)

Ice begins to form in the Bering Sea and along the coast of Western Alaska in October each year, and coastal communities are frozen in until May. Marine navigation during this period is impossible. Consequently, all major construction projects and the re-supply of communities must be completed during the short summer window. Northbound freight consists of building and construction materials, heavy equipment and vehicles, grocery items, and fishing supplies. Northland calls on the major hub ports of Naknek, Dillingham, Nome, and Bethel as well as dozens of small villages.

Northland Services has become the preeminent supply line for Western Alaska's fisheries. For a few short weeks each year, Naknek is home to one of the largest salmon fisheries in the world. Northland Services is at the heart of this frantic 'round-the-clock' harvest. Virtually everything the industry needs arrives on Northland barges. And a major share of the catch makes its first step toward world markets the same way.

Village Services

One of Northland's unique operations is our seasonal service to more than 80 small villages in Western Alaska and along the Yukon River basin.

Because of their remote locations and sparse populations, many villages are called on by barge only once or twice a year. Northland has special operations expertise in extreme conditions: years of experience have taught us the best times and ways to access communities with low water levels or a difficult approach. Freight for many "bush" communities is routed through a hub port, then transloaded onto smaller lighterage vessels — sometimes landing crafts with built-in ramps — for eventual delivery to the village barge landing. At times, this "hub port" is a barge moored in a central location, from which freight is distributed to the various smaller vessels. Village logistics can be time-consuming and harrowing — a challenge that Northland takes on every shipping season.

Northland serves virtually all of Western Alaska's remote villages and fishing communities. This includes approximately 253 calls annually at 83 different villages and fishing communities.