Jobs/houses for rent on Prince of Wales Island (Ketchikan: for sale, subletting)

[okie2AK]

I will be moving to Prince of Wales Island this spring. I will have 7 months of leave saved up from my current job. I am looking for a home to rent while I look for a place to buy. Also looking for employment (even if just seasonal). My background is law enforcement, farming and hunting/fishing guide. Looking to arrive in early June. Thanks for any leads!

[Metlakatla]

Why are you moving to POW? Living-wage jobs and affordable housing are both really hard to come by on the island.

Part of the problem with rental properties is that some of them that are available in the off-season are used as tourist accommodations during the short summers, so you may have trouble finding something in June. It's a tough market.

Look up Log Cabin rentals online and see what they've got. Also, you might have some luck renting or maybe even subletting something that belongs to a teacher; lots of them leave when school isn't in session.

[okie2AK]

Are there any fishing jobs on POW in the early summer?
I may start looking at other locations in the SE. I visited POW a few years ago and loved the area but if jobs and housing is as hard to find as some claim I may have to look at other options. Any suggestions? Hoonah area?

[Metlakatla]

There aren't any fishing jobs in early June. The only thing running is spring kings for sport fishing. Getting on a fishing boat is almost impossible on POW. The local seiners all have family members in line to take a spot and the Washington seiners bring their own crew.

Part of the problem with POW and other places like it is that while you could probably find a job of some sort, housing costs are so high and it's so hard to find that you'd be going in the hole financially just to live. I'd forget Hoonah. Look at Ketchikan, Petersberg, Sitka, and maybe even Haines. You shouldn't necessarily rule out POW, but I think you'd have a better chance of finding living-wage work in one of the other places mentioned. Of course, if you have law enforcement experience, you might apply to be a village safety officer if you want to stay in that line of work. There's special cop housing on POW and probably in other places.

Also, you'd have much better luck finding a place anywhere in SE to rent if you came up a little earlier than June. Lots of seasonal workers arrive about then, which makes housing even more scarce.

[AKStafford]

Met has given you some great insight...
As she mentioned, sometimes the docks in Seattle are the place to find a fishing job in Alaska.
If you are looking for seasonal work in Alaska, try Cool Works: Alaska Jobs | CoolWorks.com . A lot of seasonal stuff gets posted there. You'll see more added as we get closer to spring.
Here's the info on the Village Public Safety Officer program: Village Public Safety Officer Program Home

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

Met has given you some great insight...
As she mentioned, sometimes the docks in Seattle are the place to find a fishing job in Alaska.
If you are looking for seasonal work in Alaska, try Cool Works: Alaska Jobs | CoolWorks.com . A lot of seasonal stuff gets posted there. You'll see more added as we get closer to spring.
Here's the info on the Village Public Safety Officer program: Village Public Safety Officer Program Home

Actually, I didn't mention that the docks in Seattle are the place to find a fishing job in Alaska, and that's not advice that I would give. I recall a thread awhile back where a bunch of you who don't know the first thing about fishing were encouraging some poor sap to fly to Seattle and walk the docks because you heard of someone who heard of someone whose cousin got on a seiner that way 30 years ago. I'd mentioned in that thread that most boats are docked in Washington State, and true to form, you people took it and ran with it to make it sound as if I were advising the guy to fly to Seattle and walk the docks. I'm sick and tired of being misrepresented and made to sound as if I'm giving false information.

Walking the docks is a horrible strategy. It's not done anymore. Sorry to sound so harsh, but I need to make it really, really clear, I guess, that I never have and never will advocate walking the docks. There's a hell of a lot of difference between saying that the most of the SE seiners come from Washington and advocating going there to walk the docks. Sure, people get lucky once in a while, but for every one who doesn't, there are countless others who don't fare well


Sorry stafford -- I'm guessing you "know" me well enough on the forum to realize that none of this is personal.

[okie2AK]

I've looked into the VPSO positions. I've heard some not so good things about the job.

Any opinions? There are a lot of VPSO positions vacant....maybe for a reason?

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Actually, I didn't mention that the docks in Seattle are the place to find a fishing job in Alaska, and that's not advice that I would give. I recall a thread awhile back where a bunch of you who don't know the first thing about fishing were encouraging some poor sap to fly to Seattle and walk the docks because you heard of someone who heard of someone whose cousin got on a seiner that way 30 years ago. I'd mentioned in that thread that most boats are docked in Washington State, and true to form, you people took it and ran with it to make it sound as if I were advising the guy to fly to Seattle and walk the docks. I'm sick and tired of being misrepresented and made to sound as if I'm giving false information.

Walking the docks is a horrible strategy. It's not done anymore. Sorry to sound so harsh, but I need to make it really, really clear, I guess, that I never have and never will advocate walking the docks. There's a hell of a lot of difference between saying that the most of the SE seiners come from Washington and advocating going there to walk the docks. Sure, people get lucky once in a while, but for every one who doesn't, there are countless others who don't fare well


Sorry stafford -- I'm guessing you "know" me well enough on the forum to realize that none of this is personal.

Yeah... I got careless in how I phrased my response.... I was more trying to say a lot of Alaskan commercial fishing is based out of Washington. And as I understand it, these jobs are all about knowing someone who knows someone. Or being family. Logging is the same way these days. Shoot, even the little company I work for in Wasilla hires based on connections.
Thanks for keeping things straight Met.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by okie2AK

I've looked into the VPSO positions. I've heard some not so good things about the job.

Any opinions? There are a lot of VPSO positions vacant....maybe for a reason?

VPSO's have a rough job. Up until very recently they aren't armed. (And even now it's a process to be able to carry a firearm). They have minimal back up or support. The nearest Trooper might be several hours away by plane, and that's assuming the weather cooperates.
And I think the pay is pretty low.
But I have a ton of respect for those guys. VPSO Tom Madole was a friend of mine...

[okie2AK]

I'm wanting to focus on SE Alaska as that is the area I have visited. I visited Kenai Peninsula last AUG and it was just too many people compared to what I experienced in the SE. And from what I experienced the fishing in SE is much better also which is a major reason for my interest.

Anyone else have any suggestions about employment, locations to live or housing in the SE? Is there much chance of buying 20+ acres? I have seen a few parcels up for sale up they get snapped up pretty quick.

I will be moving up with several months leave coming to me, about a year's worth of salary as savings and have a permanent income from military retirement. I am currently a state law enforcement officer in a very rural area and do seasonal work as a hunting and fishing guide. Also have some farm experience.

Would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!