Shipping furniture to Sitka, AK (Anchorage, Whittier: transport company, to rent, transfer) - Alaska - City-Data Forum

vivvers · 10-19-2013, 08:02 PM

Alrighty! I have my contract signed and the ferry booked. Now, I have decided that there are some furnishings I really want to bring with us. I realize that it might arrive a few weeks after we do but that's why they invented sleeping bags and take out food.

I am needing information on reliable, reasonable shipping companies. I also need to know how this works. I'm not opposed to hauling it somewhere to make it cheaper. I'm looking at taking up a couch, love seat, 2 antique full size beds, small antique rocker, kitchen ware, out of season favorite clothing and several (10) boxes of "stuff".

Thanks for any information that you all have! BTW, I am relocating from Louisville, KY so it is a bit of a drive/distance.

stiffnecked · 10-20-2013, 12:05 AM

Sorry, but I can't help. All my moves have been do-it-yourself deals.

tidelines · 10-20-2013, 09:15 AM

Pretty much everything that comes in and out of Sitka is by barge, so you might give Arrowhead a call and they'll hook you up with an overland transport company that might get your stuff to Seattle if you don't want to U-Haul it. Winter ferry rates are in effect; have you considered ferrying from Bellingham so the U-haul and your belongings will travel with you? Link below to Arrowhead and AMH.

Arrowhead Transfer | LP Gas
Alaska Marine Highway System :: Official Site :: Alaska DOT&PF

stiffnecked · 10-20-2013, 10:40 AM

You might call Northland Services and see if they have a recommendation. The cheapest might be to rent a Uhaul and drive to Seattle and unload your stuff there. It takes about 5 days for your junk to reach Sitka once the barge sails from Seattle.

Southeast Alaska Sailing Schedule | Northland Services

takuriver · 10-20-2013, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivvers

Alrighty! I have my contract signed and the ferry booked. Now, I have decided that there are some furnishings I really want to bring with us. I realize that it might arrive a few weeks after we do but that's why they invented sleeping bags and take out food.

I am needing information on reliable, reasonable shipping companies. I also need to know how this works. I'm not opposed to hauling it somewhere to make it cheaper. I'm looking at taking up a couch, love seat, 2 antique full size beds, small antique rocker, kitchen ware, out of season favorite clothing and several (10) boxes of "stuff".

Thanks for any information that you all have! BTW, I am relocating from Louisville, KY so it is a bit of a drive/distance.

May call Lynden Transport. They own Alaska Marine Lines which just bought out Northland, and have over the road partners they can utilize to get your stuff to the barge, then barge it to Sitka.

AKStafford · 10-21-2013, 10:30 AM

And the link for Alaska Marine Lines: Barge Service to Alaska, Southeast Alaska, Central Alaska | Alaska Marine Lines

vivvers · 10-21-2013, 11:11 AM

Great! thanks for the info everyone. Also, I am bringing up my dad's Expedition and he is putting new tires on it before I leave. What do you all suggest? I currently have a little silver convertible but 1. I know better than that 2. I didn't want to get laughed at 3. my eldest son will enjoy it down here in the lower 48.

Thanks

Dakster · 10-21-2013, 04:14 PM

A poster did the drive in the winter, in a Prius... He did get better tires in Canada though.

A soft top convertible and really cold weather don't work well - so probably a wise choice on the Expedition anyways. I've driven them in the cold and as soon as the car is shut off, its' like you never had the heater on. On the Expedition, just be extra careful driving it if it is only RWD and not 4WD... I've driven about every generation of Expedition and the RWD ones don't handle all that well in slick conditions. Of course, that can be said of all large RWD vehicles though. I drove a 2011 4WD back from AK in the summer and liked it ALOT better than the 2012 RWD F150 I drove up. Those new 'eco boost' V6s leave much to be desired in the mountains and I almost got stuck in a gravel/mud rest area - and it had traction control. We ended up walking a little further to the 'outhouse' in the rain then we would have liked, but it beat getting stuck. Thankfully I decided to 'test' out the ground before I fully committed as something told me that it wasn't a good idea to go any further without trying to leave first.

akck · 10-22-2013, 11:17 AM

Have him get all-season tires and pack some tire chains. I don't think you'll need them in Sitka, but you may need them getting to Bellingham. There are some convertibles in SE Alaska, however, the Expedition will be much better for hauling stuff up with you.

richelles · 10-22-2013, 05:06 PM

I'm sure that the Expedition probably has some kind of towing package from the factory or one can be easily installed so a trailer is actually a feasible manner of getting your stuff to Alaska on the ferry. However you will have to find out if you can get a reservation for the trailer. The only problem might be returning it to U-Haul because they aren't located everywhere. I brought up a 20 foot Featherlite behind an F150 and the crew was very helpful getting that on and off the ferry. There was another trailer on the ferry and that person told me that he was going to have to bring the trailer to a major city to return it to U-Haul. I was able to sell my trailer as soon as I got to Anchorage because it was useful for hauling snow machines so I didn't have that problem. You will need to pack carefully and tie each item in so it can't shift. I bought several sheets of plywood and used them as barricades to keep everything in place. The trip was an easy one because the only driving I had in Alaska with the trailer was from Whittier to Anchorage.