Sawmill Bay

Sawmill Bay is a premier, highly protected anchorage situated on the western shore of Valdez Arm, approximately 15 miles west of the Port of Valdez. Indented deeply into the mainland, this spacious bay is a favorite refuge for commercial fishing fleets, pleasure cruisers, and yachts transiting the busy Valdez Arm corridor. Offering scenic views of snow-capped ridges and a thick forest shoreline, it provides outstanding holding ground and excellent protection from the elements.

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⚓ Moorage & Anchoring Tactics

Sawmill Bay is widely regarded as one of the most secure anchorages in the Valdez Arm region:

• Holding Bottom: The basin floor consists of deep, sticky glacial mud over sand. Anchoring quality is excellent, allowing hook-down security even during heavy blow conditions.
• Moorage Placement: The preferred moorage is found in the inner southwestern portion of the bay in 20 to 50 feet of water. Drop anchor in the center of the cove to allow ample swinging room. Keep a safe distance from the shallow tidal flats that extend from the mouths of the freshwater streams at the head of the bay.
• Wind Protection: The bay is surrounded by high ridges, providing outstanding shelter from strong westerly, southerly, and northerly winds. Only a direct east-northeast blow funnels moderate chop into the outer bay, though the inner coves remain relatively calm and protected.

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🐟 Salmon Fleet Logistics & Wildlife Interactions

Due to its strategic location in Valdez Arm, Sawmill Bay serves as a vital operational hub for the regional seafood industry:

• Commercial Fishing Activity: During summer commercial salmon openings, Sawmill Bay becomes a bustling harbor for the Valdez and Prince William Sound purse seine and drift gillnet fleets. Hundreds of commercial boats may seek anchorage here to rest, repair gear, or wait out commercial openings.
• Hatchery Corridors & Gillnet Buffers: Mariners must maintain constant vigilance when navigating Valdez Arm. Large fleets of gillnetters deploy floating nets that can stretch up to 900 feet behind their vessels. Keep a sharp lookout for orange cork lines and stay clear of active fishing zones to avoid fouling props.
• Wildlife Abundance: The freshwater streams at the head of the bay support active summer salmon runs, which attract a high concentration of bald eagles, sea otters, harbor seals, and hungry black bears. Keep cameras ready but maintain respectful, safe distances from wildlife feeding along the banks.

[!WARNING] TIDAL FLATS & GILLNET HAZARDS: The head of Sawmill Bay shoals rapidly. Keeled vessels must monitor their depth sounders closely when approaching the southern streams, as sandbars can shift after heavy rain events. Additionally, during commercial openings, keep a strict watch for gillnetters operating in the mouth of the bay; give working vessels wide clearance.

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📋 Critical Mariner Checklist

• Monitor VHF CH 16/10: Keep radios tuned to CH 16 and CH 10 (commercial working channel) to stay updated on active commercial salmon openings and fleet movements.
• Check Depth Sounder: Do not navigate too deep into the southern or western bights at low tide to avoid grounding on delta silt deposits.
• Foul Prop Preparedness: Keep a sharp knife and safety gear on-board to address any emergency prop-fouling if drifting near commercial lines.
• Establish Night Watch/Lights: Due to high fleet traffic, ensure your anchoring riding lights are functioning and clearly visible to vessels entering the bay at night.
• Secure Garbage: Store all food trash and fish waste on-board in sealed lockers to prevent attracting black bears to the shoreline.