U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that critical navigation aids are now restored throughout the Hawaiian Islands following impacts from Hurricane Lowell, supporting reopening of several harbors — including Port Allen Small Boat Harbor on Kauaʻi — and safe movement of maritime traffic.
The hurricane affected 11 navigation aids throughout the islands, prompting the closure of Port Allen Small Boat Harbor, located on the eastern shore of Hanapēpē Bay in ʻEleʻele on the south side of Kauaʻi, and Kaumalapaʻu Harbor on Lānaʻi because of in-water hazards and discrepancies with navigational aids.
Both were placed in Port Condition Recovery.
Coast Guard crews from Sept. 9-15 conducted dive operations, repositioned damaged navigation aids and delivered equipment to restore safe access to affected waterways.
Restoration efforts supported the Coast Guard Captain of the Port’s official reopening of Port Allen and Nāwiliwili harbors on Kauaʻi, restoring safe access for commercial, military, cruise ship and other maritime traffic.
Divers from Regional Dive Locker Pacific completed 14 dives in waters off Kauaʻi with support from Coast Guard Station Kauaʻi and crew of Coast Guard Cutter William Hart. The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Juniper also provided a navigation aids positioner to support restoration efforts.
Crews recovered, repositioned, marked and re-established critical aids to navigation throughout the response. They also conducted side-scan sonar sweeps of Port Allen harbor to check for submerged hazards.
Port Allen harbor handles commercial fuel barges, government transport and local small-boat tour operations, such as Nā Pali Coast excursions. It is not equipped or used as a cruise ship port.
That is handled at Nāwiliwili Harbor, Kauaʻi’s designated commercial deep-draft harbor on the east side of the island, where major cruise ships dock when visiting the Garden Isle.
There is a notice of arrival for a ship coming in Sept. 21 at Port Allen, but no additional information about the kind of ship was available.
A fuel barge did arrive Sept. 13 at Port Allen, which is open for operations.
Nāwiliwili Harbor also is open to cargo ships, and while there has been no cruise ship activity since Hurricane Lowell walloped the island, Hawaiʻi Port Call — which provides live vessel information throughout the islands — shows two cruises booked to arrive before the end of this month.
Cruise ship schedule through September at Nāwiliwili Harbor
Pride of America
- Pier: 2A
- Arrival time: 7 a.m. Sept. 24
- Departure time: 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25
- Number of guests: 2,300
Carnival Spirit
- Pier: 2A
- Arrival time: 7 a.m. Sept. 30
- Departure time: 5 p.m. Sept. 30
- Number of guests: 2,200
The cruise ship schedule at the East Kauaʻi harbor and port then looks to kick back into pretty much full gear starting by Oct. 1.
Remember: schedules can change.
Equipment delivered to Lānaʻi also supported the official reopening of Kaumalapaʻu, while removal of Honolulu Harbor lighted buoy 4 from the navigation channel supported reopening the harbor on Oʻahu to deep-draft vessels.
“Maintaining aids to navigation, especially after a storm like Hurricane Lowell, is essential for the flow of commerce throughout the Hawaiian Islands,” said U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu Response Department chief Cmdr. Andrew Williams. “We are proud of the exceptional work of our crews and our partners at the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation for their work to reopen critical harbors and safeguard the flow of maritime traffic.”
Divers from Regional Dive Locker Pacific completed 10 dives in waters off Oʻahu with support from Coast Guard Station Honolulu and Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock.
Multiple HC-130 Hercules crews from Air Station Barbers Point on Oʻahu delivered personnel and equipment to Lānaʻi to facilitate dive operations and support efforts to repair Kaumalapaʻu Harbor.
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News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.
