Hale O Lono (Moloka'i) Traditional Cache

Hale O Lono Barge Harbor began construction in 1959, and was completed several years later as a private complex for the Honolulu Construction and Draying Company. Every day of the week during the 1960's, with the exception of Sunday, Hawaiian Tug & Barge vessels could be seen plying the rough Moloka’i Channel, towing a heavily loaded sand barge bound for Honolulu from Lono, as locals call the harbor. The construction boom was beginning, and HTB was on a regular schedule to haul crushed rock and sand that had been quarried on the west end of Moloka’i. Tugs Mohala, Mahoe, or Malia would leave Honolulu at midnight with an empty barge, then arrive at Hale O Lono around 5:00 am. A conveyor belt would move sand into the specially designed barge that had an open hull, and when full, the barge would begin its six-hour tow back to Honolulu. Today, the harbor is administered by the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, and provides a haven for fishing boats and sailing craft.

Info from Young Brothers Tug website, 2002 Tide Calendar