I'm looking at a job in one of the villages outside Kotz this next year and I know I'm going to want two things besides my traps. A good sled and a boat. So... How do I get those out there? I'd be looking at the Kobuk River. Was thinking a 2072 with a 115 jet on it and a new SWT. If possible put the SWT in the boat and run it up the river from Kotz to my location.

thought? How does this normally work? I've worked in the bush before just never had a vehicle and it was hard.

Try talking to Castor getter he is a teacher up their and might give some good insight.

Hope he chimes in not sure how to send him a message otherwise.

Talk to Crowley, Alaska Logistics and any other barge companies that ship up there to find the best deal. They will ship it out from ANC and you can pick up in KOTZ, then you will just need someone to help you get it into the river from the port. There are a few guys on the forum from Kotz who may be willing to help you with that.

The other thing to consider is shipping the snow machine up in the winter via airplane, and then fly into KOTZ and ride it out to your village. If the Kobuk is not an easy river to run that may be a better option than piling your boat up with a machine in it.

Barge would be best. Otherwise, Linden Air Freight, tho that will be really spendy. Have you checked around the net for any boats, etc. for sale already in the area? Your just going up there and sounds like your investing a lot of money. Might go a little cheaper till your sure your gonna be there a while!
mt

Beings that you are wanting to ship both a boat and a snow machine I'd agree with others about shipping via a barge. I am not a fan of the idea of putting the snow machine in the boat unless you know specifics about the location you'll be going to ahead of time. Coming in when a barge does you'll most likely have little, but more likely no snow and the location where you will likely park the machine until it snows won't be close to the river bank (possibly over a bunch of gravel too).

For myself, I shipped good honda out right off the bat with Ryan air after it got to Kotz. I waited on a snow machine and still am, it was purchased the end of last month and still has yet to show up. Should be any day now though. Our ice upriver this year even still in some places has been sketchy so I elected to pay to have it brought all the way. The trail all the way to Kotz from upriver is occasionally done, but rarely from all the way up at my location. The markers on some stretches are not as great from what little I have seen and need some more work probably. If you can find it, there is a map somewhere that has all the main trails for the region showing intersections and warming houses with GPS coords that could be good to have. I have not brought a boat out yet of any sorts and probably won't until I know I'll be here a much longer time. I even held off on my snow machine for that reason at first, just something to think about before spending all the money shipping it up (especially something as big as a boat). You would get the most use out of a snow machine more than a boat, even if you planned to be out here all year long. Those are all things I have considered and still do.

I'm also as far up the river as far as villages go, so cost of getting things here is a big factor. I think I heard the barge maybe comes here twice a year from what someone locally said. I have yet to look into the cost of shipping anything I want here via the barge yet, but it could be in the works for the future.

Appreciate all the info guys. I’m actually a teacher to and last time I taught in the Arctic I said I’d never go back without toys. With that said I loved it. I want to be able to experience moose and caribou hunting along with trapping. The reason I said a boat and Snowmachine. If I could find a boat out there and just fly a new motor in that be best I’m sure.

From those that I hear from in my location, most like to hold onto things even if they do not use them much. I'm sure if you paid them more that they might be interested or your timing could help. I heard that some really let snow machines go cheap in summer if they need a new outboard and then about ice up they might want to do the reverse depending on their cash flow and things.

The winter trails up river (Kobuk) from Kotz are mostly not on the river. Kotz to Noorvik with some being on the river. Nooorvik to Kiana is mostly on the river I think. Any farther up the Kobuk and the trail is Noorvik, Selawik, Ambler. That trail should be marked with tripods. I've driven it once. Once you reach Ambler, the regular trail to SHG is overland except for crossing the Ambler R. Then overland from SHG to Kobuk.
I'm thinking there is some sorta internet advertising sight for the NANA region that people sell snogos, boats, etc.
mt

Alot depends on when you plan to arrive.

The first barge go's past Noorvik in late June, after the ice in Kobuk Lake gos out past Kotzebue during break up. Hard to predict nowdays though.

If its a 'sled' of wood cut and tied into a basket sled or nailed/lagged togethr type, put the sled in the boat, if our meaning a sled ='s snowmobile,then maybe Barge up the snow mobile, drive up the boat, if will you be arriving in late summer/August?? The water should be high then and you gotta learn the river sometime

The trails rough from here to Ambler, its a 4 hour ride, this year,but you never know what the weather will do to it next ....

Good luck!

I ship antlers down from NW with Linden's Barge Service, if you plan ahead that seems to be the most equitable way to get it to and from Anc. Their phone # is 1-800-426-3113. Rates seem to go up the closer you get to transport time.

I’ve got a friend in Kotz that is a pilot for the Troopers but he’s not trooper. I can ask him to be looking around for a boat for me. I was thinking a 2072 with 80 to 115 jet. I don’t know the Kobuk or Noatak but figured it would work on either. I appreciate all the info it really helps. As for sleds I was looking at a Skandic SWT in the 600 ETEC. Just don’t know much about the 900 ACE and have had good luck with the ETEC.

ETEC and 900 ace are good rigs if you take care of them. I have the 900 ace renegade. The other day I hit the 9000 mile mark still on the original motor. No problems with it yet.

ALOT depends on what you wanna do with your boat; Here on the Kobuk Delta, the waters deep, muddy, up there near and past Ambler, its shallow and rocky.
I popped a drive shaft in two this last July, with one wrong move while we were on our way to visit our daughter and grandson, and I know this river.
A large boat/115 is doable, but theres not alot of them up river ,when compared top a 60 hrs-40 hrs range. A smaller motor will give you more access to the shallower places, and during low water spells.
Since Im in the delta, I use my 60 hrs for upriver travel, or my daughters 115 from here to the ocean a short while away.

Im just throwing this out there, becuase the rivers a bit different up than down.

You can get them from Anchorage to Kotz on a barge. Usually first one arrives on 4th of July. Then you can either drive your boat up to the village with the machine inside. If you have a 115 jet, that will take a lot of gas. The channel gets tricky past Kiana so it would be an "adventure" if you were to do so. Those SWT are very heavy.

Once in Kotzebue, call Crowley and see when they're going to have a fuel barge go to Ambler. The channel has changed at SHG...so the barge won't be able to get there. From ABL, you can time a good high water after a rain and get your machine in the boat and on up to SHG.

Snugaarood? The world famous Flying Wild Alaska jer.............I mean star?

Nope lol... Older gentleman, lives most the time in Kotz but also has a place in Western MT. He's a pretty good guy. Him and his wife have saved my backside more than once from having to sleep in the Kotz airport when its fogged in for three days.

CAP is always willing to help, be them troopers or SnR or what ever personal help they can dish up



Once yer up this way, you'll need what we call a ''sled''around here.....shuks, theres one in my front room getting shod and the look in my wifes eye says Ill be done soon.She understands -37f and why I took my tent down and moved in LOL!!!