Meet the Owners
Bryan and Karen Zak moved to Alaska in 1998 from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area following Bryan’s retirement from the Air Force at the Pentagon in 1997. Soon after this retirement Bryan started talking about how much he loved Alaska and wanted to move there!
After an introduction to Alaska via an Alaska Cruise and two summer fishing vacations to the Homer area, Karen agreed to go for three years! Those three years turned into a lifelong love affair with Alaska specifically Homer!
One winter day in February of 2000 Karen and Bryan drove to Homer from Anchorage and spotted a property for sale on Baycrest Hill with stunning views. They pulled off the road in deep snow and walked around and Bryan said “There are no better views in Homer, can you imagine if visitors could experience this view?”
The journey began remodeling two existing cabins on the property and then opened as Alaska Adventure Cabins in 2000. The property expanded to eight cabins on 15 acres over the next 20 years. Since that time Karen and Bryan decided to downsize and sold Alaska Adventure Cabins and now just operate the most unique and favorite cabin in the summer season, the Double Eagle Ship cabin.
Bryan and Karen are extremely integrated into the Homer Community. Bryan served as Mayor from 2016-2018 and Karen Executive Director of the Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center from 2014-2017, as well as many boards and volunteer organizations.
Our History
The Double Eagle boat was discovered by Bryan Zak in the local Homer Boat Yard in the year 2000. It had been stored after it was decommissioned and was headed to be sunk or demolished. The Double Eagle originally operated as a shrimp boat in the Gulf of Louisiana and then made its way to Alaska and was used in the Valdez Oil Spill to transport people to work sites. Then it made its way to Homer and was used as a fishing vessel in the Kachemak Bay and Gulf of Alaska. Bryan decided it would make a unique lodging accommodation on a piece of property we owned on Baycrest Hill with panorama views of the Kachemak Bay in Homer, AK.
Moving the ship from the boat from the shipyard to its new home was quite an undertaking. The top half of the boat was taken off and set aside to be able to transport the boat on the roads and avoid the power lines. The bottom half of the boat made its way first to Baycrest Hill and was then slid down the driveway on snow during the winter season and then hoisted in place on steel pilings that were set in place in advance of its arrival. The top half of the boat was transported and reattached to the boat. It took over a year and a half to clean the debris off the ship, strip, and paint, and reconfigure all the interiors with plumbing, electricity, drywall, decks, and custom relocated staircases.
The Double Eagle opened in July of 2002. It has three levels, with three decks, 2.5 bathrooms, two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a living room. The original wheelhouse remains on the main level and the top wheelhouse was converted to a bedroom.
