Young Brothers adds new Big Island of Hawaii Barge

Young Brothers Ltd,  Hawai'i's largest interisland cargo company, has added a new barge to its fleet for services between Honolulu and the Big Island of Hawaii.

Hawaii's largest inter-island cargo company announced the addition of the Makaala, a nearly $12 million freight barge with the capacity to move 8,600 tons of cargo.

On Sunday, the Maka'ala, which cost nearly $12 million and has a cargo capacity of 8,600 tons, is scheduled to begin transporting cargo between Honolulu Harbor and Kawaihae Harbor, on Hawaii Island.

This is the third time a vessel has carried the Maka'ala name — which means alert and vigilant — in Young Brothers' 100-year history.

The addition of the barge, along with November's addition of the Hoomaka Hou, is part of a $186 million investment announced in 2006 to provide better service and more benefits to Hawaii.

The company said the barge is fuel efficient and environmentally sensitive. The hull design provides for less resistance, resulting in faster towing speeds and less fuel consumption and the internal ballast system uses fresh water and no discharge is pumped into the ocean.

The 3,175-ton Maka'ala was built in Portland by U.S. Barge, which is a joint venture between Oregon Iron and Vigor Industrial. Young Brothers has contracted U.S. Barge to provide two more barges of the same design over the next year.

A third vessel, the Kala'e Nalu, is scheduled to be delivered in November, with a fourth barge to be delivered in April 2009. All of the barges are being constructed on Swan Island in Oregon, a shipyard that built "victory" ships during World War II.

Young Brothers, Limited has been providing inter-island cargo service since 1900 throughout the State of Hawaii with ports in Honolulu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Hilo, Kawaihae, and Kauai.

Young Brothers' parent company, Saltchuk Resources, bought the cargo division of bankrupt Aloha Airlines in May 2008 for $10.5 million.