Carthaginian II to be scuttled
By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
LAHAINA, Maui — The brig Carthaginian II, a symbol of Lahaina's days as a 19th-century whaling port, will be scuttled and a new vessel found to take its berth in the historic town.
Christie Wilson • The Honolulu Advertiser
The replica square-rigger, converted from a cement carrier that plied the Baltic Sea, has little historical value. But in the 30 years since it arrived at Lahaina Harbor, it has become one of the area's most recognizable sights, featured in countless photographs and artworks.
Countless photos and artworks include the replica square-rigger Carthaginian II. But the group that cares for the ship says maintenance is costing too much.
Tied up steps from the 100-year-old Pioneer Inn, the Carthaginian II houses a whaling museum run by the nonprofit Lahaina Restoration Foundation, which has been spending $50,000 a year for maintenance. Marine engineers have advised against spending more, said executive director George "Keoki" Freeland.
When the ballast was installed in the 82-year-old steel-hulled vessel, scrap iron was dumped into the hull and covered with concrete. Salt moisture has seeped through, and the ship is rusting from the inside out.
The Carthaginian II has lost its appeal as a visitor attraction because it lacks authenticity, Freeland said. "It's not a genuine historical ship to begin with."
Last year, 45,000 people visited the museum, down from about 62,000 in 1997. Meanwhile, attendance at the foundation's Baldwin House museum, a missionary home built in 1835, went from 40,000 to more than 60,000.
"People come here looking for real Hawai'i stuff," he said.
The foundation's board of directors voted to replace the Carthaginian II. The Lahaina group is seeking a permit from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to sink the vessel offshore as an underwater habitat.
The Carthaginian II was rigged to resemble the brigs that brought supplies for whalers and returned to New England with barrels of whale oil.
The original Carthaginian, built in Sweden as a navy trainer, was used in the 1966 movie "Ha-wai'i," based on the novel by James Michener. It was acquired by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, but ran aground and was dashed to pieces about 30 years ago as it was leaving for dry dock on O'ahu.
In 1972, the foundation purchased the vessel that would become the Carthaginian II. The German-made ship was christened in 1920 as a two-masted schooner. The complicated rigging work on the replica was done dockside at Lahaina, using plans researched in England and based on the dimensions of the 1870 brig Marie Sophie.
All the masts, spars, yards and iron fittings were fabricated by hand and completed in 1980.
Freeland said the foundation was trying to find another sailing ship, perhaps even a traditional Hawaiian sailing canoe. It could be the centerpiece for a museum covering the history of the Lahaina port, Freeland said, where Kamehameha the Great brought his war fleet of canoes. Later, Lahaina was host to interisland steamers that carried sugar, pineapple and cattle, as well as dozens of military ships.
Nowadays, Lahaina is a popular port of call for luxury cruise ships.
At the Pioneer Inn Bar & Grill, waiter Michael Taboada said he, for one, would miss the Carthaginian II.
"It gives the place atmosphere, like the old whaling town. People are always asking me about it," he said.
Terry Hill, who weaves palm fronds for tourists by the harbor, said he did not mind seeing it go as long as it was replaced. "It's kind of junk anyways," he said.
