Aloha Kulamanu (1946)
P&M Marine Services’ tugs Tiger 5 and Tiger 21 approaching Pier 7, Honolulu Harbor. 20 June 2019.
Another familiar sight in Honolulu Harbor is gone.
Kulamanu (IMO 8836429), which was tied up on the Diamond Head side of Pier 7, was towed out of the harbor on Thursday, 20 June 2019. She was taken to Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor, where work will be done to prepare her for disposal at sea.*
Tiger 5 alongside Kulamanu at Pier 7. 20 June 2019.
Tiger 5 (at the bow) and Tiger 21 (at the stern) carefully move Kulamanu away from the pier. 20 June 2019.
Tiger 5 towing Kulamanu out of the harbor, assisted by Tiger 21. 20 June 2019.
Kulamanu, built in 1946, was originally named Delaware Belle. She was subsequently renamed Hudson Belle and George Washington.** As George Washington, the Wilson Line operated her as a river cruise vessel on the Potomac River.
Robert J. Halcro, the owner of Windjammer Cruises, bought the George Washington. The ship’s name was officially changed in March 1980 to Rella Mae (in honor of Mr. Halcro’s mother). Four steel masts and a bowsprit were added to the ship at a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia before she sailed for Hawai‘i via the Panama Canal and Los Angeles.
Rella Mae arrived in Honolulu Harbor on Sunday, 13 July 1980 and began operations as a dinner cruise ship in August.
Notice from The Honolulu Advertiser from 12 July 1980.
ACES Dinner Cruises bought Windjammer Cruises in June 1996 and renamed the ship Kulamanu. Due to economic factors, the company shut down operations in May 1998 and put the ship up for sale.
Pacific Cruises owned the ship in the early 2000s. She was put up for auction in July 2006.
Since then, she languished at Pier 7.
In September 2018, there was an unsuccessful attempt to sail the ship to San Francisco, California.
*The ship was disposed of offshore on 11 July 2019.
**James L. Shaw, “Honolulu Holdouts,” PowerShips, No. 303 (2017): 67.
Note: The information about Kulamanu was compiled from a number of sources. Corrections and additions are welcome.
i wish i had been there to see her off. this news really made me sad. as a child, my grandmother was a dispatcher in the booth on pier 7, and, in that mysterious way that children often become attached to things, i became very fond of the kulamanu (or the windjammer, as i referred to it then and continue to do so now). i would ask my papa to take a drive by whenever we were in the area, and we would. even at times when we were some distance away, i would ask out of the blue, and he would oftentimes oblige me. back then i would try to spot it from anywhere i could, (you used to be able to see the masts from a spot on the H-1 back in the day). i watched it sail out from pier 2; from sand island; i’d watch it go and go and turn around along the coast from ala moana beach. i would ask to come to watch it shove off for evening cruises and wait around for its return. i remember standing right on the pier, which was lined in blue at the time, as she came in one night in the mid 90s, music blaring, the lights rising high into the sky, the mooring lines being thrown over, the crew yelling orders, the ramp jangling as it was locked into place. all this fondness lasted straight into adulthood, and over the years i would often go and sit beside her, to think, to write, to marvel at it in a way i knew scarcely anyone else did. i even wrote a poem about the windjammer in college, where i lamented how one day i would come back to my spot right at the foot of the maritime center, and it would be gone. and how i, in turn, would simply remember that at one time it had been there.
ironically i have no memory of being on board the windjammer when it was a dinner cruise, though i do know i have taken it three times as a young child. but despite that, i did see a video taken on board that was uploaded to facebook last year. it was of the view from the starboard window on the first deck, and right there as i watched, the memory of that view came back: how low it was to the water, and the perspective one got looking out, sunk down as if standing right on the surface of the water, looking up just a little at the familiar things around. it gave me such a good feeling of remembrance. i will truly miss the kulamanu, and for me, in her absence, without the sight of masts rising up as you come up ala moana boulevard (first it was the falls of clyde’s masts gone from the skyline, now they’re all gone), things are so changed that the place might as well not be pier 7 anymore in my eyes.
this is a super maudlin post, but for me, windjammer held a big piece of what made hawaii hawaii in my eyes. but i guess everything eventually comes to a closing circle, and so to that i simply say, with much fondness still in my heart: Aloha! to the kulamanu! i’ll miss you like a friend 🙂
Dear John,
Your letter is beautiful, and brings back many happy memories. This ship has always held a very special place in my heart. I was a watchman in the deck department in 1991, when she was the MV Rella Mae. I so enjoyed patrolling her lovely decks on the nightly cruises. It was wonderful to stand at her rail and take in those magnificent Waikiki sunsets, and the twinkling lights of Waikiki Beach. Even now I can almost feel the delightful breezes. I would look up at her looming masts and imagine sailing around the world on this majestic beauty. One evening, I had the honor and privilege of meeting Mr. Halcro. He was most kind and gracious. I live back on the mainland now, and over the years have Googled my ship under her various names, in an effort to learn what became of her. Very sad to hear she was scuttled, but that is so much better than having been scrapped, for now, abundant marine life can benefit from her, and keep her company. I wonder if there is any way to scuba dive to or pass by her final resting place on a touring submarine. I know I have pictures tucked away in storage somewhere, and possibly a CD that I made. If you would be interested in them I can hunt them up. Feel free to email me at suemallen5@gmail.com. Aloha! Sue
John, your comments are lovely and very heartfelt. My father, Robert J Halcro, also had a deep love for the Rella Mae Windjammer Kulamanu. He was gutted by her demise after selling Windjammer Cruises. Whenever he was back in Hawaii, he too would head over to pier 7 to gaze up at her and remember her for the great ship she was. That she is being put “back to the earth” is good, she will help make a strong reef and home for many fish.
I understand that your father passed not too long ago. I’m very sorry for your loss.
It must have been painful for him to see her deteriorating over the years.
Thank you roberta. do you have any photos of the rella mae from back in the day? i collect them
i also read about mr. halcro’s recent passing; my condolences. i’ve known him only through the stories my grandma have told me over the last 20 years.
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Hi,
I was on this ship several times between 1958 and 1961 when it was the Hudson Belle operating between Battery Park, at the tip of Manhattan, and Rye Playland and Amusement Park in Westchester, NY. Our Catholic Grade School, St Jerome’s, along with probably scores of other Brooklyn Schools would make this annual trip, kids and usually Moms in tow.
In 1962 I got sick and I missed what turned out to be the last boat ride as the Hudson Belle and the other ships of that line moved to a new location. Missing the outing was one of my great disappointments
I tracked down the ship to Hawaii about a dozen years ago and I happily boarded it again, though it was just waiting to be auctioned off by those days.
I guess I felt as though I won by finding and boarding the ship again!
Good luck Hudson Belle and the many memories left in its wake!
DJ
Brooklyn, NY
My father, Walter Whitaker used to be captain of the Rella Mae back in the mid 80’s. He passed away a couple weeks ago, which made me very melancholy for better times and the Rella Mae popped into my mind. I’m so sad to hear that it is being sunk. I wish I had thought of this before my dad passed so I could show him. We are in the process of going through my parent’s belongings and if I find any sort of memorabilia, I’ll certainly share.
thank you. condolences to you and your family.
I was a Japanese interpreter on the dinner cruise in the 1980s; I wonder if I met your father?!
You might have. I’m trying to figure out how to attach a photo here, but its not giving me and option to do so.
It’s possible . Trying to figure out how to attach a photo of him.
For some reason it won’t let me comment
Oops. Now it’s letting me comment. Lol
I think I remember you;dark hair, blue eyes. I worked as a server in 1982 or 83(?) Annie was my immediate trainer/supervisor (Japanese) They had a rockin’ band, the lead singer looked and sang like Lionel Ritchie of the Commodores. When the boat first went out Honolulu harbor, she rocked & rolled terribly, and all the tourists would get seasick & ask where the bathrooms were. All I remember was “”Schtah” (?) ..”Downstairs”. And trying not to spill those horrific syrupy Mai Tais & Blue Hawaiis!! Most the men would order “Misuwatis” (scotch & waters) I used to ride my bike to work from near Punchbowl Crater (Leilehua Lane) Coast all the way down to the Aloha Tower, & huff & puff my way back home uphill at night. I worked for a year, but got fired on New Years Eve, for drinking on the job (1st & last time!) But what fun we had! I loved working there, & proud of my sea-legs! I hope you are having a great life! So fun to reminisce!! Courtney Blackburn
Hello, my name is Art Sault. I was crew on the Rella Mae for the LA to Honolulu leg. I remember it well…fond memories.
hey, art. you happen to have any photos of the rella mae from that time you’d like to share with me? i collect photos of her.
I was also in that ship when it sailed from Long Beach to Honolulu! I had the 12 to 4 shift at the helm.
do you have any photos of her from that time? if so, would you mind emailing them to me at windjammercruises@gmail.com?
I was a musician on the Rella May from 84 to 86. Dolly Parton was on board for a family outing
The oddest thing I remember was a car lost control drove up the dock turned into the boat so they would not run off the pier and right into the gates that use to let car on board when it was a fairy boat. no one hurt except that car. we still did our diner criuse that night anyway.
the other deep memory was the time we took water in on the second deck due large waves as we turned to enter the harbor. The bands equipment all turned over but no real damage. Everyone hated the times we could not so out to Dimond head because the water was to rough. Hot sticky and nothing to see but the docks…. flat bottom boats not to good on the Ocean.
Phase Seven was the name of the band we had our album cover photographed next to the boathttps://i0.wp.com/alohagotsoul.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/phase_wj_cover.jpg?w=404&ssl=1
hey edd,
i enjoyed your stories. did the car end up on the boat or did it fall into the water?? also i am aware of the band phase seven, i think there’s an album with the windjammer on it, no?
I worked as a Japanese Interpreter when Iva Kinimaka did the show on the dinner cruise
i just happened to find this site on the computer , i worked on the rella mae in the shipyard and at the dock in norfolk va , worked on her down there for almost a year and then set sail with capt reg white and chief engineer jim fernandez for the 40 some odd days to honolulu thru the panama canel , what a a trip i then stayed and worked on rella mae until end of 1981 , had a great time . signed scott wagner
I worked on the ship 1987,88 as a bartender. It was an amazing ship. I loved the two different cruises that would go out nightly. The Polonesian show and the Broadway show. I never forgot how beautiful it was to sail along the shores of Waikiki beach at night. I was very lucky to have the opportunity to work on that ship. One of the greatest jobs i ever had!!
I got married on the Rella Mae in November of 1984. What a fun evening it was! It was a sunset cruise, but it rained. It didn’t matter to us. We had a very nice ceremony, a delicious private meal and a great time at the show. The entire crew was so kind. My (ex) husband and I posed for so many pictures with Japanese tourists I can’t imagine how many photo albums we must be in. I’m a little sad to see that she is no longer of use to anyone but a burial at sea seems fitting.
Thanks, I learned some things that I did not know before, I often wondered what happened to that ship. It was named George Washington, when I bought it at auction for $45,000 in Washington DC. I bought it when the Wilson Line went bankrupt. The ship was somewhat run down, but the engineers had kept the engine room in pretty good shape. It had 2 1000 horse power Superior Diesels. They had an engine order telegraph. After the auction I talked with the second engineer. He told me he know what it would take the get the engines running and offered to do it for $2,000. I asked it he would also make the trip to Norfolk. He said he would. They had done it before. We also hired some men to work in the engine room. I am a boat captain myself, but I had never run a ship that size. I hair a captain , who would make the trip for $200. I even got insurance from Fred S James. We already had enough fuel aboard. The trip went well. We tied up in Virginia Beach, right next to Norfolk. I rented the old ferry slip where the Chesapeake Bay ferry tied up.
I pup the George Washington up for sale. Tom Swarek bought it. He sold it to Bob Halcro from Hawaii. Bob Halcro converted it over to a sailing ship appearance. It was still a motor vessel but it looked somewhat like a sailing ship.
Captain Warner Athey
Interesting article , I worked on the rella Mae in Norfolk when I got out of the Navy in 1979 . Worked with captain reg white , after a lot of work completed down in Norfolk I worked as a crew member and sailed the vessel to Hawaii where we completed the boat and put into service as a sunset dinner cruise boat off waikiki
Even with that horrible paint job it is still sad. That was once a beautiful ship. I wish I could have said, just give the George Washington back to me, but I know that would not have been possible. The ship was in Hawaii.
Captain Warner Athey
My father was captain when she was the Rella Mae. I have very fond childhood memories of going on the cruises with him at the helm. He has since passed and I’m grateful to have had my time on that boat.