Alaska Good Time Charters runs the Fool’s Gold, a 40 foot twin diesel out of Whittier, and it fills a real gap in the port: a Coast Guard inspected boat that sells affordable per person seats rather than the whole hull. For a single angler, a couple, or anyone watching the budget, that is the cheapest way onto Prince William Sound, and Capt. Dave has a real knack for finding fish. It ranks fifth in Whittier, and it is the one mixed band pick in the field, because the value and the fish finding sit alongside caveats the higher ranked boats do not carry.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 5.7 Alaska Good Time is a mixed pick: book it with caveats, and book it for the right reason. That reason is value and access. A per person seat on a 15 angler inspected boat is the affordable entry to Whittier fishing, the posted price card is clear up front, and reviewers credit Capt. Dave and deckhands such as Dalton and Anthony with putting people on halibut, often quickly, and with looking after kids on board. The caveats are why it does not rank higher. The Fool’s Gold is an older boat, with one reviewer dating the hull to around 1963, and a handful of reviews describe mechanical trouble on the water, including a trip that turned back. Other reviews report being overbooked and bumped, non-refundable fees they were not told about, and refund disputes, and a few fault the captain’s manner toward guests. For a cleaner record on a per person seat, the 12 passenger boat at Crazy Ray’s Adventures is the alternative, and the top of the port is Whittier Marine Charters. Compare the full field on the Whittier ranking.
The boat
The Fool’s Gold is a 40 foot twin diesel, Coast Guard inspected to carry up to 15 anglers plus two crew, and the inspection and the size are its real strengths: a bigger, steadier boat that can legally sell individual seats, which is what keeps the per person price down. The honest problem is age and upkeep. Reviewers describe an older hull, dated by one to about 1963, and while many trips run fine, a few report mechanical issues, including a boat that would not start at the dock and an engine that failed offshore and forced a return to port. A USCG inspection covers safety standards, so this is a reliability and comfort concern rather than a safety cap, but if a newer, better kept boat matters to you, the other ranked Whittier boats run more current hulls.
The fishing and what you target
Alaska Good Time fishes the standard Whittier season for Pacific halibut from May into September, under the 2026 Area 3A charter rules of two fish a day, one of any size and one no more than 27 inches, with keeping closed every Wednesday and on Tuesdays from June 2 to August 25. The boat adds silver salmon, rockfish, lingcod, and Pacific cod through the summer, and the big deck and the per person format suit a mixed group. The operation also runs squid and oyster cruises and salmon trips, so the menu is broader than halibut alone. Reviewers report whales, sea lions, porpoises, and bears on the run, which the sheltered water of the sound makes common.
Trips and prices
The pricing is a genuine plus and the reason to consider the boat. Alaska Good Time posts a per person rate of $450 for a full day, or $415 for military, each plus a $45 fee, on the Fool’s Gold. A shared rod for two anglers is $700 plus a $90 fee, and an exclusive charter for eight is $3,600, and the crew fillets your catch. That per person price is the affordable end of the Whittier market. The caveat sits in the same place as the value: some reviewers report non-refundable booking fees they were not told about and trips that were overbooked, so the transparency is not all it should be. Confirm the cancellation and fee terms in writing before you pay, and budget the $20 halibut stamp and your Alaska license on top. Our cost guide sets the rate in context, and the party boat versus private charter guide explains the per person seat against a private boat.
The crew
The crew is the part of the record that pulls both ways, which is the whole story of this boat. On the good days, reviewers name Capt. Dave for knowing where the fish are, with groups limiting on halibut in a couple of hours, and they credit deckhands like Dalton and Anthony for working hard and being patient with children. On the bad days, the complaints are about how guests were spoken to and about the operation overbooking and removing people from trips. That spread is why captain and crew lands in the middle rather than high: the fish finding is real, but the consistency and the manner are not what the top boats here deliver. Read recent reviews before you book so you know which version you are likely to get.
Booking and what to know
Book direct, and get the cancellation policy, the fees, and your seat confirmation in writing, given the overbooking and fee complaints in the record. Trips leave at 7 a.m. from Whittier, so time the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel from Anchorage and clear the early eastbound opening. Bring warm waterproof layers, food and drink, and motion sickness medicine taken before you sail, buy your Alaska license online, and budget the $20 halibut stamp per person. The crew fillets your catch, and you can take the bags to a Whittier or Anchorage processor to box or ship home.
How we scored it
Alaska Good Time earns its 5.7 honestly. Trips and access and value carry it, on the strength of an affordable per person seat on an inspected boat with posted prices and a captain who finds fish. Boat and equipment, track record, and service and booking pull it down: an older hull with reported breakdowns, an uneven review record, and recurring complaints about overbooking and undisclosed fees. It is a real, bookable, affordable option with real drawbacks, which is exactly what a mixed verdict means. See how we scored this boat and the rest of the Whittier charters we rank, including Whittier Marine Charters and Alaskan 4 Star Charters.