Created to remember those lost at sea, the Seafarer’s Memorial is equal parts commemoration and connection in Homer, Alaska. While it has become an essential element of the local Homer community, it has taken an even bigger place in the wider commercial fishing industry, highlighting the many ways a monument can make an impact on the hearts and minds of audiences of all types.
Remembering Those Lost at Sea
The effort to create a monument that was dedicated to commercial fishermen who were lost or died at sea began in the early 1990s with the North Pacific Fisheries Association. Designed to be a tribute to the living and the lost, the Seafarer’s Memorial is defined by an open aired rotunda that houses a statue of a mariner. However, the most significant element of the memorial are the literal names of those lost at sea that are located all across the site.
The names of people who were lost at sea, along with their vessels and dates they died, are inscribed on brass plaques on the inside of the pillars. The oldest name on the memorial is Aileen Anderson and the Monson Mail Boat from 1934. While these plaques are reserved for those who perished at sea, an apron of bricks around the monument can be dedicated to any member of the fishing community and continues to expand. These bricks may be purchased, can be personally inscribed, and are laid as permanent fixtures within the path at the entrance to the memorial. Donations and funds raised by the memorial are given to the families of those lost at sea, but are also used for memorial maintenance costs.
A marker featuring a poem by Ryan Bundy was added to the memorial in 1996. It ends with a line that represents the memorial: “The sea tells a story. It tells of prosperity, yet how the prosperity can be unforgiving. Nearly everyone will experience its vastness, but some will remain there forever.”
Created as an ongoing project that is featured in various maps and guides to the region, the Seafarer’s Memorial continues to evolve and establish further connections in Homer and for the entire fishing community.
Connecting with a Local and Larger Community
Overlooking Kachemak Bay and surrounded by mountains, the Seafarer’s Memorial provides audiences with a picturesque view of the area. These views are augmented by the engagement that audiences of all types can have at the memorial itself which is connected to the culture and people that are defined by the waters surrounding the memorial and span the entire world.
