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Carthaginian II was a steel-hulled brig outfitted as a whaler, which served as a symbol of that industry in the harbor of the former whaling town Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. She replaced the original Carthaginian, a schooner converted into a barque to resemble a period whaler, which had initiated the role of museum ship there in 1967.

Carthaginian II was built in Germany as a schooner in 1920 and christened as Mary. She was brought to Maui in 1973, re-rigged, and served as a whaling museum until 2005, and after being sunk to create an artificial reef, now serves as a diving destination.

History

The vessel was built in 1920 in Kiel, Germany, as a two-masted schooner at the Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft shipyard. Christened as Mary, she was just under 30 metres (98 ft) long, with a nominal displacement of 125 short tons (113 t) (gross).[1]

Mary was one of a group of forty ships completed at Kiel intended to operate primarily under motor power, with auxiliary sail. [1] Terms imposed in the wake of the World War I Armistice required Germany to hand over all new ships built as large steam or motor vessels.

As Komet in Sweden

As a result, Mary was sold shortly after completion to Denmark, and renamed Familiens Haab in 1922. In 1923 she was sold to Sweden and renamed Komet. She worked the Baltic Sea as a freighter hauling cement until 1970 and was decommissioned.[2] Because Krupp had built her hull using steel that had been intended for U-boats, Komet (and her sisters) developed a reputation for longevity.[1]

Komet was purchased in 1973 by the non-profit "Lahaina Restoration Foundation" (LRF). for approximately $21,000 and motored from Søby, Denmark to Hawaii by an all-Lahaina crew.[3] The 105 day passage,[2] via Madeira and the Panama Canal, arrived on September 7, 1973.[1] After installing 15 short tons (14 t) of cement and steel ballast to counterbalance a heavy square rig being assembled onshore to replace its original streamlined schooner sail plan, it was renamed Carthaginian II and restored over several years. Masts made of spruce, a deck of eucalyptus, and other details for a whaling supply ship of the 19th century were installed. In 1980, the ship was opened as a floating whaling museum.[4]

Underwater in 2017

The addition of internal ballast allowed moisture to condense between it and the steel hull, which rusted to a point where it nearly split in half. LRF was spending $50,000 per year to maintain the ship.

In 2003, LRF approached Atlantis Submarines, a local tourist concern, proposing to sell Carthaginian II to be sunk as a underwater attraction. Atlantis spent $350,000 on an environmental study and cleaning her in preparation for becoming an artificial reef. On December 13, 2005, the boat was towed and sunk at a depth of approximately 97 feet (30 m), 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) off the coast near Puamana Beach Park. It serves as a destination for diving expeditions and submarine tours.[5][6] Scuba Diving and Sport Diver have rated the site as one of the top locations for shipwreck diving.[7][8]

LRF was given 120 days to replace the vessel before the berth would be reclaimed for commercial operations.[9][10] The berth was proposed as a potential home for the voyaging canoes Mo'okiha o Pi'ilani[11] or Mo'olele,[12] but Mo'okiha was berthed at Maalaea Harbor instead in 2016.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Frederichsen, Frederik (1981). Danske Motorsejlere af Tyske Krigsskibsmaterialer [Danish Motor Sailers of German War Ship Materials] (PDF). pp. 102–109. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Schäuffelen, Otmar (2005). Chapman Great Sailing Ships of the World [Die Letzen Grossen Segelshiffe]. Translated by Servais, Casey. New York, New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. pp. 347–348. ISBN 1-58816-384-9. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  3. ^ Apple, Russell A. (December 21, 1973). Lahaina (Historic District) (Report). National Park Service. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  4. ^ Denenberg, R. V. (September 19, 1982). "Around Maui, Sunrise to Sunset". The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
  5. ^ Sens, Josh (July 28, 2006). "Kids? Maui Makes It Easy". The New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  6. ^ "Five years later, Carthaginian II a thriving artificial reef". Lahaina News. December 30, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  7. ^ Morton, Brooke (May 16, 2014). "25 Best Wreck Diving Spots in the U.S." Scuba Diving. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  8. ^ "The World's 50 Best Wrecks". Sport Diver. January 14, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  9. ^ Wilson, Christie (December 14, 2005). "Lahaina icon sinks into deep sleep". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  10. ^ San Nicolas, Claudine (December 14, 2005). "Carthaginian Sunk". Maui News. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
  11. ^ Kubota, Gary T. (January 12, 2007). "Crew members also helping build voyaging canoe on Maui". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  12. ^ Kubota, Gary T. (May 1, 2006). "Canoes expand horizons of Maui public education". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  13. ^ "Mo'okiha o Pi'ilani has a new home". Lahaina News. April 21, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2017.

External links

20°51′45.8″N 156°40′30.7″W / 20.862722°N 156.675194°W / 20.862722; -156.675194

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthaginian_II