Fishability Alaska

Huge thank you to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development for this shout-out; to Spruce Root for their support; to Homestead Skiffs for building this amazing vessel; to Lighthouse Excursions, Baranof Fishing, and Ketchikan's Finest Fishing Charters for being such supportive allies; to Grant EchoHawk for guiding me through so much of the financial process; and to my wife, family, friends, and supporters who made this dream a reality. Now please excuse me...I'm off to take some folks fishing!

Ketchikan's ocean has always been for everyone. Jack Finnegan is making sure that's actually true.

Fishability Alaska is Ketchikan's first (and only) charter boat operation built with accessibility at its core. Private, fully-customizable fishing trips and wildlife expeditions on a custom vessel with wheelchair access, adaptive fishing gear, and a captain certified through both Autism Double-Checked and the IBCCES.

Jack arrived in Ketchikan in 2013 and spent years as an ocean guide while also building nearly a decade of experience working with people with disabilities. When the pandemic brought cruise ships to a halt in 2020, he saw an opening: what if he combined both skill sets to bring the ocean to people who'd never had real access to it?

Funding was the biggest hurdle. A win at Spruce Root's Path to Prosperity competition in 2021 gave him critical early momentum, and his primary loan came through Spruce Root as well. When he needed to restructure that loan, Spruce Root coordinated with DCCED's Division of Investments to make it work. The team walked him through processes that were new and sometimes daunting for a first-time business owner.

That support gave Fishability Alaska room to grow steadily instead of scrambling. Jack is now not quite halfway through his first full season, gathering client feedback, and already planning for next year: up to five tour offerings (from two this year), plus a few refinements to the vessel itself.

His advice for fellow Alaska entrepreneurs? Don't overlook CDFIs like Spruce Root or the programs through the Division of Investments. They're staffed by Alaskans who genuinely want to see you succeed. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Jack built Fishability Alaska, but he didn't do it alone.

Why “The Four Fins”?

I grew up as the oldest of four siblings (though we happily added a step-sister after I’d left home) and “The Four Fins” was shorthand for the group of us. “Fins” lends itself nicely to a fishing charter vessel name—and now I get to bring my siblings out with me every time I hit the water!

Snowy Sunday boat check!

Went down to check the boat during a recent snowstorm and spotted this gull making a rather ambitious meal out of an ochre sea star. Bald eagles get a lot of the limelight around here, but, dang: this is pretty wild.

131 days between our boat's inaugural splash and its first blanket of snow...and 131 days between its first blanket of snow and the first ship of the 2026 season! It'll be here before we know it. Can't wait to see you on the boat!

Not every "big one" that we land is a fish! Here I am with my dear friend Captain Jeff (of , on the left) after recovering a lost propeller out of 99 feet of water. Jeff did all of the hard work with the lift bag, and Captain Thomas (who took the picture) helped put us on the approximate location of this 35-pound piece of machinery. The owner of the boat who'd lost the prop was just as amazed as I was that we'd found the thing, let alone successfully retrieved it!

Not a bad view from a parking garage!

Ketchikan -> Seattle -> Anchorage!

I’m attending the Alaska Travel Industry Association’s annual convention for the fourth straight year. The first year, Fishability was just a concept—and won a Peoples’ Choice award! The second year, I had secured financing for the custom-built boat. Year three, that boat was under construction. This year, we’re fully operational!