Young Brothers christens new barges; Kalohi to service Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi

Young Brothers christened the Kalohi and Nāulu barges last week, marking a milestone in a more than $45 million investment to enhance the reliability and resilience of interisland shipping services.

Entering service in December 2024, the new barges will provide additional cargo capacity and were designed with advanced technology and features to make it safer and more efficient to load and unload cargo.

The addition of these state-of-the-art vessels – the first new barges in nearly 20 years – is a major step forward in modernizing Young Brothers’ fleet and ensures we are well-positioned to deliver the frequent and reliable interisland shipping service to power Hawai‘i’s economy and connect our island communities,” said Jay Ana, president of Young Brothers. 

The Kalohi, a 286-foot-long barge, was designed to serve smaller ports like Kaunakakai (Moloka‘i) and Kaumalapau (Lāna‘i). 

“As the only water carrier serving Lānaʻi and Moloka‘i, Young Brothers has a critical kuleana to these communities,” Ana said. “This investment in Kalohi reflects our deep commitment to enhancing the capacity and resiliency of our services moving what matters most for Lānaʻi and Moloka‘i.”

The Nāulu, a 365-foot-long barge, will be the largest vessel with the most cargo capacity in Young Brothers’ fleet. The versatile design enables Young Brothers to transport additional cargo during peak periods and realize significant operational efficiencies in the ease of loading and discharging cargo when volume returns to off peak levels. Nāulu will be homeported in Kawaihae (Hawai‘i Island) and will serve Young Brothers’ four larger ports.

According to Young Brothers, key features of the Kalohi and Nāulu Barges include:

• Ballast technology raises or lowers the vessels in response to changing tidal and ocean conditions, increasing stability, safety and efficiency when loading and unloading cargo in the challenging ocean conditions often present at Young Brothers’ port locations. 
• Additional cargo ramps across the barges, giving employees greater flexibility and enabling greater efficiency in safely loading and discharging cargo. 

The vessels were custom-designed by Hockema Group, a Washington-based naval architecture firm, and built by Conrad Shipyard, a national leader in the construction of ships for commercial customers and the US government.