Preservation of the Cape St Elias Boathouse

Greetings Cape St. Elias Lighthouse community:

We’re reaching out to you for help because you’ve either been to or expressed an

interest in visiting Alaska’s Cape St. Elias Lighthouse on Kayak Island.

Our mission

For the past 25 years, we have worked hard to keep the lighthouse, an

extraordinary place, open for people like yourself to experience. The mission of

the Cape St Elias Lighthouse Keepers Association’s 501(c)3 organization is to

provide and maintain accommodations for the general public and to preserve, as

best as possible, the Light Station.

As you know, Kayak Island is a dynamic and often unforgiving place where the

elements tend to take over as soon as you turn your back. The planet is trying very

hard to reclaim this place for its own, and consequently, just keeping those

elements at bay is something of a task.

The Light Station Needs Support

The building we're working on now is the former boathouse currently used as a

bunkhouse. It is the only wood structure on the site, and most of the cedar shingle

siding had blown off the building. However, for being over 100 years old, the

structure underneath is in very good shape. With new siding and some roof work,

we don't see any reason it couldn't serve the public for another 100 years.

We’re writing to ask for your support to help with this endeavor.

In August 2023, a team of six volunteers spent six days at the Cape to begin phase

one of our three-phase project. We beat back the jungle, stripped off a majority of

the remaining siding and wrapped the building in a breathable, waterproof

membrane. We feel we bought some time with the work completed this year, but it

needs to be finished.

Getting a Wrap on It in 2024

Phase two, the siding, has to be completed in the summer of 2024 or else the

membrane we applied will be compromised. Phase three is projected to start in

2025 to completely re-roof the building. However, the repairs we’ve made over

the last several years render this final phase a bit less urgent.

What We Need – Community Support

We estimate needing around $35,000 to cover materials, transportation and

provisions for the volunteer crews next season. To get there we’ve applied for

multiple grants to help with the costs, but we really need to show community and

user support to reinforce our current grant applications.

This building is the bedrock of the organization, and without it there’s really no

point in continuing on. The public will essentially lose access to a wonderful

historic landmark in a staggeringly beautiful place that is as raw, real and as wild

as any place that still exists on the planet.

With your help, we will keep the Cape St. Elias Lighthouse and its mission going.

We have established a GoFundMe campaign dedicated to raising funds for the

2024 bunkhouse restoration project. Every contribution, regardless of size,

resonates powerfully and will directly influence our successful outcome.

To contribute, please visit: https://gofund.me/62ffdd5c

Visit our website at: www.capestelias.org

In closing, we extend our gratitude for your past and continued support. The Cape

continues to thrive because of individuals like you who believe in its historical

significance and support its preservation for travelers and adventurers worldwide.

All the best and safe travels,

“The Lighthouse Keepers”

Cordova, Alaska