OPELU is certainly a one-off. She was built in 1984 for the Uaukewai Diving and Salvage Co as NENE. She was built by Marco Shipyard in Seattle but probably has never left the islands since then. Smith Maritime, the tug company, bought her in 1999, and she progressed through that company’s evolution to K-Sea Hawaii and then Kirby Offshore. In 2021 Kirby offered her for sale, and she was picked up by P & R Water Taxi who renamed her OPELU.
OPELU is certainly a one-off. She was built in 1984 for the Uaukewai Diving and Salvage Co as NENE. She was built by Marco Shipyard in Seattle but probably has never left the islands since then. Smith Maritime, the tug company, bought her in 1999, and she progressed through that company’s evolution to K-Sea Hawaii and then Kirby Offshore. In 2021 Kirby offered her for sale, and she was picked up by P & R Water Taxi who renamed her OPELU.
good to see the old uaukewai diving salvage and fishing boat the nene still around