City and Borough of Wrangell · Stikine country

Wrangell Boatyard and Harbor Workers: Get Exam-Ready Online

Wrangell made a deliberate bet on fixing boats. The borough's Marine Service Center runs a 300-ton lift that was the biggest in Southeast when it arrived, plus a smaller travel lift and a hydraulic trailer, and vessel owners come from around the region to haul out here. A boatyard is a rigging classroom every day: slings under hulls, engines and shafts coming out, blocking and stands going in. This page is for the people who do that work, and for local contractors who want their crews holding accredited crane, rigging or signal credentials.

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Inside the Marine Service Center

Wrangell Port and Harbors operates a 150-ton marine travel lift and a 300-ton ASCOM boat lift with a 26.5-foot maximum beam, along with a 40-ton hydraulic trailer, an approved washdown area and upland storage. It is a self-service yard, so owners either do their own work or hire local vendors for repairs and refits.

The borough bought the big lift from the Italian builder Ascom for about $1.3 million after an assembly vote in January 2013. The dock had been built for a 200-ton machine, so it had to be strengthened before the new lift could run. Its first customer, in May 2014, was a 98-foot fish packer. An early attempt on an 85-foot tug only succeeded on the third try, after the crew pumped tanks and stripped tires and gear to lighten it.

Space on the hard is managed by reservation, winter storage is limited, and the yard has listed a 14-day stay limit for haul-outs, with longer projects needing other arrangements. Those rules mean lifts are tightly scheduled: a delay on one boat backs up the next, which is exactly when rushed rigging causes trouble.

Lessons from a lift that hit its limit

That tug story is a useful reminder for anyone studying for a rigging or operator exam. The rated capacity is a ceiling, not a target, and real weight includes fuel, water, gear and anything stowed aboard. Estimating load weight, understanding where the center of gravity sits, and knowing when to stop and reduce the load are all core exam topics because they are the decisions that keep yards safe.

The same thinking applies to mobile cranes on Wrangell's docks and building sites, where an outrigger pad on old timber or fill can be the weak point long before the crane's chart is.

Weather adds its own margin. Southeast rain soaks blocking and slings, and gusts across an open yard can swing a hull on its straps, so the lift crew needs a clear stop-work signal everyone recognizes.

Credentials that suit a small island economy

  • Rigger Level I and II for yard hands who set slings, rig engines and plan multi-point picks.
  • Signal person for anyone guiding a lift operator who cannot see the load.
  • Mobile crane operator for contractors working on harbor, utility and building projects on shore.
  • Recertification prep for operators whose five-year card is coming due.

Rules, regulators and the waterline

Shore-side construction in Wrangell generally answers to AKOSH, which uses the federal crane and derrick standard without adding a state license of its own. Ship repair and other shipyard work generally falls under federal OSHA's maritime standards instead. Either way, employers decide whether to require accredited certification, and many do. Our requirements guide explains the federal duties in more detail.

Questions people ask

Does operating the boat lift itself require crane certification?

Boat lifts in a shipyard setting are generally covered by maritime rules rather than the construction crane standard. The yard sets its own qualification requirements, and rigging knowledge is valuable either way.

Is Rigger Level II worth it if I already have Level I?

Level II goes further into load weight and center-of-gravity work and into planning more complex rigging. It suits yard and crew leads who design picks rather than just hook them.

How do Wrangell residents get to a practical exam?

Most travel by air or ferry to a larger Southeast town or to Anchorage. Plan the trip around the certifying body's practical exam schedule once your written prep is done.

Can a small Wrangell contractor enroll its whole crew?

Yes. Employers can sign up several workers at once and let each person study on their own schedule. Reach an enrollment advisor through the get started form.

Courses suited to local work

  • Rigger I

    Get ready for the NCCCO Rigger Level I written exam with lessons on slings, hitches, hardware and inspection, aimed at Alaska workers who hook and unhook routine loads.

  • Rigger II

    Study for the NCCCO Rigger Level II written exam: estimating weights, finding centers of gravity and building multi-leg rigs, for Alaska riggers who plan non-routine lifts on their own.

  • Signalperson

    Prepare for the NCCCO Signalperson written exam with lessons on standard hand signals, voice commands and radio discipline, for Alaska crews who direct cranes in dark, cold and noisy conditions.

  • Mobile Crane

    Study for the NCCCO mobile crane written exams on your own schedule, from a rough-terrain hydro in a Mat-Su subdivision to a crawler on a Kenai Peninsula bridge or a crane barged into a village for the summer.

  • Recertification

    A self-paced refresher for operators whose five-year NCCCO mobile crane card is coming due, built to fit a winter off-season or the days off between rotations.

Neighboring areas

Line up your crane certification prep from anywhere in Alaska

Let us know the card you need — operator, rigger or signal person — and the community you work out of, whether that's on the road system or off it. An enrollment advisor writes back with a matching course and a plan for getting your written and practical exams on the calendar.

  • Lessons open around the clock, on any phone, tablet or laptop
  • Practice questions shaped like the NCCCO written tests
  • Help mapping out where and when to take your hands-on practical

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