Lana'i boating ramp shut down for long-awaited improvements

By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor

Lana'i's boating community is welcoming $560,000 in improvements to the Manele Small Boat Harbor launching ramp, even though it means no one will be able to put their boat in the water during the 45-day construction period.

The depth at the end of the 60-foot-long ramp is less than 3 feet, making it difficult to get larger boats off their trailers and into the water.

And the end of the ramp suddenly drops to a depth of almost 5 feet, making it tricky to maneuver trailers. Another hazard is a submerged rock outcropping that lies 25 feet directly off the end of the ramp.

"If you back up too far, the trailer will fall down a hole," said recreational boater and fisherman Ken Kauffman, who served on the Manele Boat Harbor Advisory Committee. He said several trailers have suffered broken axles and other damage.

The project has been talked about for almost 10 years, and construction finally started two weeks ago.

Three separate contracts were awarded for the work. Sea Engineering Inc. has a $249,970 contract to reconstruct the ramp, lengthening it to 80 feet and moving it 15 feet inland to provide more clearance from the outcropping.

Sea Engineering also has an $81,500 contract to construct an access road and concrete turnaround.

A separate $230,250 contract was awarded to Healy Tibbitts Builders Inc. to dredge the area in front of the ramp to a minimum depth of 7 feet.

The state is paying 25 percent of the cost, with the federal government picking up the rest.

There are between 50 to 80 boats registered on Lana'i, and only 24 slips at Manele harbor. Three commercial outfits have permits to use the ramp.

Spinning Dolphin Charters' 28-foot fishing boat will be idle during the construction, but owner Jeff Menze is willing to accept the temporary loss of income. "There have been a lot of problems and a lot of damage to the trailers. It's worth the wait," he said.

W. Mason Young, acting administrator of the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, said he expects few complaints about the closure of the boat ramp. Lana'i's boating community was involved in the planning process early on and found the construction schedule "agreeable," he said.

Kauffman, who goes out on his 32-foot fishing boat at least once a week, and others said the improvements are needed for another reason: With an increase in the island's population due to resort development, many more boaters are using the ramp.

"For a while, it was just small boats and it didn't make a lot of difference. Because of the resort and people with bigger and bigger boats coming in, it was horribly needed," he said.