By Gretchen Wehmhoff

Before the Ore Dock, well, there was another Ore Dock. 

In March 2023, the port lease agreement between White Pass & Yukon Route and the Municipality of Skagway ended. At that point, more than half of the harbor and cruise ship docks returned to MOS management.

Years before, Skagwegians had voted not to extend the 55-year contract, but to have the MOS manage the leased area on expiration.

Fast forward through a pandemic, last minute negotiation attempts and a vote approving a bond to fund Ore Dock improvements and Skagway finally started to move forward to approving the actual design moving through the bidding process on the new harbor improvements. 

The original bid to take on the design was higher than expected, so MOS went back to the drawing board to reduce the scope of the project.

For ORE Dock, the deep water dolphins would have to wait for a future time. 

Eventually, the dismantling of the auto (ore) loader began, then the timber and old concrete was removed, and the construction of the new dock moved forward on plans to create 500-foot floating berths that could accommodate the longer cruise ships.

A key, if not the key, component was the large floating dock.  

The floating dock was built and headed up to Skagway from Washington State on Feb. 2, 2024. During the trip, the barge and dock stopped in Ketchikan to await better weather for the rest of the trip on Feb. 12.  

It was later that morning that the Pacific Pile & Marine (PPM) notified Skagway officials that “the dock had unexpectedly suffered damage during the towing process and separated into three sections.”

With assistance from multiple businesses and personnel, the floating dock was repaired in Ketchikan and continued its journey, arriving in Skagway on May 2 to celebratory calls of “Happy Dock Day.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 27 welcoming the dock was attended by over 100 people with dignitaries such as Port Director Cody Jennings, Borough Manager Brad Ryan, Mayor Sam Bass and Engineer Ed DeBroeck of KPFF Consulting Engineers.  

Cody Jennings related her moments while watching the dock come in.

“As she got closer you could see a flag flying around on the deck. It was hard to see at first, but I was finally able to read, ‘Skagway or Bust.’”

Jennings took that phrase to heart.

“‘Skagway or Bust’ is a phrase that captures a determined and adventurous spirit. Incidentally, it’s often associated with the Klondike Gold Rush,” she said.

The ceremony took place at Ore Dock on a typical windy Skagway day. Flying dramatically on the edge of the stage was a homemade blue flag with simple red lettering reminding those present of the journey.

“Skagway or Bust.”