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Mothership Trips

Quick Details

Phone Booking: Call to book only

Boat-based Multi-Day Kayak Adventure in Kenai Fjords National Park

Check out the video to learn more about our Mothership Trips!

We’ve partnered up with local captain Mike Brittain to put together our most plush multi-day adventure package. Our Mothership trips allow you to move around the fjords with great flexibility. Paddle where the conditions are best each day, while enjoying the comforts of living on board the STARR. We won’t just zoom from one location to the next like most water taxis, but will take you along the coastline and share the unique and awe-inspiring highlights along the way. In addition to your captain, you’ll be accompanied by your kayak guide, and the two will team up to share great Alaskan stories and local information. This trip by far offers the greatest versatility and flexibility to travel the fjords at the highest level of comfort. A hot shower, flush toilet, warm beds, a comfortable living/dining area, and hearty, delicious meals bring the comforts of home to your trip.


Highlights

  • Enjoy the comforts of the STARR while kayaking Kenai Fjords National Park each day
  • Explore the highlights and paddle the locations with the day’s best conditions
  • Savor delicious, homemade meals in the warm cabin

Captain Mike

Captain Mike Brittain on the bridge of his ship near Seward, AKCaptain Mike came up the Alaska Highway on his Triumph Bonneville motorcycle for a two-week stay – in 1970.  Alaska has been his home ever since, and the Kenai Fjords have been his backyard beginning in 1975. Mike has been a Seward resident since 1982, and a licensed captain since 1987, he’s been a sailor and lived on his 35′ wooden ketch for 8 years in Seward, tugboat captain, killer whale researcher, tour boat captain, commercial diver, and kayaker. He’s a trained naturalist, an avid environmentalist, and most of all: a lover of Alaska. Mike has worked Alaskan waters from Southeast to the Bering Sea in both summer and winter. Experienced, personable, knowledgeable, and conscientious, he is one of the most experienced mariners in the Kenai Fjords area, and has been sailing the park since before it was a park.

Vessel

Mothership Alaska

The STARR

Built of steel, the Starr was constructed in Portland, Oregon and launched in 1988.  Designed for Alaska with a fully enclosed pilothouse as well as outside helms, she is well suited for traveling in any weather.  Sixty-two feet in length overall and seventeen feet wide, the Starr has hosted months-long vacations in Southeast Alaska for her original owners, and is now being offered to carry adventurous sea kayakers into the fjords of Southcentral Alaska.  Strong, reliable, and comfortable, you’ll live on the Starr during your excursion into Kenai Fjords National Park or Prince William Sound.  The Starr features such amenities as a full galley, dedicated shower, three heads (bathrooms), and a huge driftwood-paneled main saloon for relaxing and dining.  She also carries an inflatable dinghy for both shore excursions as well as to help expedite entrance / exit to your kayak.

Destinations

We offer Mothership trips to Aialik Bay and Northwestern Fjord. These two fjords in Kenai Fjords National Park are relatively close to Seward, and offer the chance to experience incredible glaciers and wildlife. If you’re looking for a 3 or 4-day trip, then we will explore within Aialik Bay. On a 5 – 7 day trip, we will visit the highlights of both Aialik and Northwestern. Just let us know your interests, adventure goals, and timeframe, and we’ll work together to plan the perfect trip!

Dates

For 2024, the following departures are set and will be filled on a first-come basis. Send us an email or give us a call to inquire and set up your reservation.

June 15th – 19th: 5-day trip – SOLD OUT!
June 22nd – July 28th: 7-day trip – SOLD OUT!
July 1st – 3rd: 3-day trip – SOLD OUT!
July 21st – 24th: 4-day trip – SOLD OUT!
July 27th – August 2nd: 7-day trip – SOLD OUT!

All of our charter dates with Captain Mike are full for 2024, but if you’re looking to set up a Mothership trip, please reach out to us. We are happy to put you on a follow up list for future seasons, or chat about other trip options.

Pricing

Our Mothership trips are priced according to the number of people on the trip, and we are happy to combine smaller groups to bring everyone’s per person price down. We will only combine groups of adults (ages 14+).

If you’re traveling with kids under the age of 14, we will make your trip a private family trip. There will be no extra cost for a private family trip — we are excited to share this place with young explorers, and we recognize traveling with kids involves different challenges.

We always cap our trips at 6 people, to provide the best possible guest experience while minimizing our impacts.

All prices listed are per person and exclude tax and gratuity.

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