Kauai Arrives with Christmas Trees
Matson’s Kauai inbound to Pier 52, Honolulu Harbor. Foss Maritime tug Pi‘ilani is at her stern. 24 November 2018.
If you were visiting Honolulu Harbor on the Saturday (24 November) morning after Thanksgiving Day, you may have noticed a special detail at the bow of Matson’s Kauai.
Foss Maritime tug Mikioi assists Kauai as she turns in front of Aloha Tower. 24 November 2018.
The Matson ship arriving in Honolulu on or a few days after Thanksgiving and carrying a shipment of Christmas trees is designated the company’s official “Christmas Tree Ship.” The tree placed at the bow of the ship is traditional.
According to Captain Ed Enos, who was the pilot on board Kauai, she had 60 reefers of trees on board.
The tree with decorations! 24 November 2018.
Matson ships have been bringing trees to Hawai‘i for over 100 years.
The Hilonian brought a carload of fine Christmas trees from the forests of the Sierras, each of which will shortly be decked with holiday cheer for young Hawaii. (The Honolulu Advertiser, 22 December 1909.)
In the days before containerization,* the trees were stored, exposed to the elements, on the pier before being loaded on the ships. On the ships, they were secured on deck and subject to the conditions at sea.
‘We had two days of rough weather but the trees came through in great shape,’ said a [Hawaiian Planter] deckhand. ‘They were well covered and we wet them down with hoses regularly.’ (The Honolulu Advertiser, 12 December 1957.)
Sadly, it may be some time until we see Kauai in Honolulu Harbor again. Captain Enos reports that she will be laid up on the West Coast and will probably sail as a relief ship when another one of Matson’s ships is in dry dock.
*Matson pioneered the use of shipping containers in the Pacific. The first 20 containers arrived in Hawai‘i from San Francisco on board the Hawaiian Merchant on 5 September 1958. The 24′ x 8′ x 8.5′ aluminum boxes were unloaded by a crane that had been set up at Pier 29A, Honolulu Harbor. Some of the contents included: “bleach, beer, baby food, and general cargo.” (Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 6 September 1958.)
