Aloha Ale Ale Kai V
Muscle, steel, holy water and coconuts launched the world’s largest sailing catamaran, Ale Ale Kai V, at 11:18 a.m. yesterday before 3,000 Honolulans and camera armed visitors who crowded the Ala Wai Boat Harbor to see Henry Kaiser’s latest venture. (“Kaiser Launches Giant Catamaran.” The Honolulu Advertiser, 29 December 1957.)
The Beginning
In December 1957, the launch of Ale Ale Kai V was front page news.
Photograph of the launch published on the front page of The Honolulu Advertiser.
Designed and built by Hisao Murakami, Ale Ale Kai V was lowered into the water by Hawaiian Dredging’s crane barge Gaylord. She was blessed by the Reverend Abraham Akaka of Kawaiaha‘o Church and the Reverend Shigemaru Miyao of the Izumo Taishakyo Mission. Kaiser was present during the ceremonies.
A little over a month later:
Several thousand curiosity seekers thronged to Ala Wai yacht harbor…to witness the maiden voyage of Henry J. Kaiser’s 100-foot pink catamaran, the Ale Ale Kai V.
The world’s largest catamaran glided majestically out to sea trailed by a flotilla of admiring small craft.
Onshore, a long line of automobiles crowded the outer mole of the Ala Wai so their occupants could catch a glimpse of the huge cat. (“Giant ‘Cat’ Put Through Its Paces.” The Honolulu Advertiser, 10 February 1958.)
Pink Catamarans
There were at least six catamarans that were named Ale Ale Kai.
According to historian DeSoto Brown:
Probably all of the catamarans were painted pink originally. This was Kaiser’s favorite color. All the construction equipment owned by Kaiser was (notoriously) painted pink also.
The catamarans were associated with Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village Hotel, which opened in 1955 and was very rapidly developed for the next five years, until it was sold to Hilton in 1960. Kaiser himself was so wealthy and powerful that he was able to dredge out the coastline in front of the hotel site and build a new beach in front of the new lagoon. He also installed a pier extending out from the new beach, at which at least some of the smaller catamarans were docked.
A card promoting catamaran trips to sail around incoming passenger ships. (DeSoto Brown Collection)
Sold
In October 1958, Kaiser sold Ale Ale Kai V to Robert C. Allen, who was the president and general manager of Gray Line Hawaii.
After receiving US Coast Guard certification, she was operated as a tour boat out of Honolulu Harbor by Gray Line’s subsidiary, Shoreline Cruises. Initially, she was used by the company for tours of Pearl Harbor.
Her two gas Chrysler 225-hp marine engines were replaced with diesel GMC 650 engines while she was dry docked at Kapalama Shipyard in October 1961. In November of the same year, she moved from her berth at Pier 12 in Honolulu Harbor to Kewalo Basin.
These two brochures for Ale Ale Kai V date from the early to middle 1960s. A shuttle bus carried customers from Waikīkī to Kewalo Basin. The bus was also painted pink. (DeSoto Brown Collection)
Ale Ale Kai V sailing off the south coast of O‘ahu in the 1960s. (DeSoto Brown Collection)
The caption on the back of this postcard reads: “COLORFUL CATAMARAN ALE ALE KAI V featuring daily Pearl Harbor Cruises…Day and Evening Charters…Sunset Dinner Sails complete with refreshments, Polynesian entertainment and dancing off the shores of romantic Waikiki.”
Since the late 1960s, ownership of Ale Ale Kai V passed through various hands, including: Hawaii Loa Inc., Aikane Catamaran, Robert’s Catamaran III, Robert’s Hawaii Cruises, and Joseph Hearst.
The End
For a couple years, Ale Ale Kai V floated, forlorn, tucked away alongside Pier 40 in Honolulu Harbor. Although she had been put up for sale, a 2017 Hawai‘i Department of Transportation request for bids for her removal and disposal signaled that her end was near.
Ale Ale Kai V was broken up in March 2018.
Ale Ale Kai V being broken up in Pacific Shipyards International’s dry dock Ho‘ōla I Nā Moku. 3 March 2018.
Remnants. 11 March 2018.
Mahalo to DeSoto Brown for items from his collection and information about Ale Ale Kai V.
A shout out to Captain Paul Pollock, who planted the seed for this story.
Pink was his 2nd wife’s favorite color, not his
I worked aboard ALE ALE KAI V from age 14 to 19. My mother was General Manager of the office of operations. Carol Booth. Earl Akana was the skipper during those years… 1966-1971 I later worked aboard Aikane catamaran off of Maui, Kaanapali Hotel for Rudy Choy. THE GOOD OLD DAYS in Hawaii!!!!
I was on the ale ale kai v as a young boy. My father skippered for Henry j Kaiser’s catamaran . It was the maiden voyage across Waikiki beach. I remember my father sent into the cabin and they put up the balloon sail and the next thing I remember was flying from one bulkhead of the catamaran to the next. We went flying across Waikiki beach front. It was amazing. My father’s name was Boyd Suminguit. I met Mr kaiser as a young boy, I use to swim the pools in the Hawaiian village since my father skippered for Herny J Kaiser. I use to sail on the small catamarans, even had the pink outfit that the crew would wear. Had a promotional film mad of me. Great memories as I digress… My father and crew would sing for the guests…and movie stars and so on a long time ago….
Ale Ale Kai Five was a great achievement among many for Mr Hisao. Murakami. I was lucky to have been aboard for some very nice sailing off Waikiki for a time. Many people thought that she would not sail well to weather, but she did quite well even with over one hundred happy tourists aboard.
I later discovered Ale Ale Kai One lost in the hills of Waianae. She was made of Aluminum and built like an airplane. She ended up lost several miles off the coast of Kahuku.
My dad was Henry Kaiser’s personal physician. He was often out on the Ale Ale Kai when in Hawaii.
I have his “uniform” which they all wore onboard.
Pink of course.
shorts and a top.
I would love for them to be in a museum or in the hands of someone who would appreciate the history. Let me know! lindappurcell@gmail.com