Prince of Wales Island Crane Prep, Centered on Craig

Roads that logging built

Prince of Wales has around 2,800 miles of road, but most of that mileage started as pioneer roads cut for timber harvest. The main paved route runs about 23 miles from the Clark Bay ferry terminal near Hollis to Klawock, with branches to Craig, Hydaburg, Thorne Bay, Coffman Cove and other communities. In the 1960s, Thorne Bay was described as one of the largest logging camps in the world.

Logging gear and boom trucks share those roads with fuel trucks and contractors. Narrow shoulders, soft cut-bank soils and steep grades are routine, so crews setting up a truck-mounted crane or log loader beside the road need to judge ground support carefully. That judgment is tested on every operator exam.

Sawmill, seafood and harbor work

Viking Lumber's mill in Klawock, a short drive from Craig, cuts large Sitka spruce and yellow cedar bought mostly from Tongass National Forest timber sales. The Dahlstrom family has owned it since 1994, and in 2018 the owners said mill activity supported about 145 direct jobs. Mills depend on loaders, overhead handling and periodic crane picks for saw and conveyor work.

Craig itself is a fishing port. E.C. Phillips & Son operates here as well as in Ketchikan, and the city has planned a larger harbor at its former cannery site. Float installation, pile work and plant equipment upgrades are all jobs where a qualified rigger and a certified operator are expected on site.

Island conditions that test a lift plan

• Soft roadside fill on logging roads can settle under one outrigger while the others hold.
• Steady rain from the outer coast saturates ground and makes rigging and dock surfaces slick.
• Long supply lines mean a damaged sling or failed hydraulic hose may not be replaced for days, so inspect before each shift.
• Tidal docks in Craig and Klawock change working heights and swing clearances through the day.

Ferry schedules and exam timing

The Inter-Island Ferry Authority was created in 1997 by island communities including Craig and Klawock, along with Petersburg and Wrangell, and began Hollis–Ketchikan service in 2002. The crossing takes about three hours. In recent planning documents the authority has flagged funding and crew shortages that could disrupt sailings, so check the schedule well before any exam trip.

Ketchikan is the nearest larger town for most Craig residents. Written exams may be available through online proctoring, while practical exams require time on an actual crane at a site set by the certifying body. Preparing thoroughly at home cuts the chance of a second costly trip.