Kewalo Basin Harbor Improvements

Kewalo Basin Harbor, located in Honolulu’s Kaka’ako district, is the gateway to the beautiful south shore of Oahu and the Pacific Ocean. The historic harbor is home to a vibrant commercial boating community. After decades of use, the aged 144-berth harbor was in decay.  Over time, some of the piers had been condemned and others were past their useful service life.

The Kewalo Harbor Development Company, LLC (KHDC) holds a 35-year lease on Kewalo Harbor.  As part of the rejuvenation of Kaka’ako, KHDC is committed to renovating and improving the harbor, elevating the facility into the finest mooring destination in Hawaii.  To do so, Sea Engineering was contracted for approximately $19M to renovate, replace, and repair the entire harbor facility.  The scope of work included:

• Increase the harbor berth count from 144 to 176 slips by demolition and replacement of five (5) piers, including pile driving at Pier C.  Each slip was provided with upgraded water, electrical service, and a private storage container. The fire protection system was upgraded.

• Rehabilitate seven (7) piers with concrete spall and crack repairs, and a protective, non-skid coating. Water, power, and fire protection were upgraded.

• Replace the condemned Loading Dock and install a new vessel fueling system consisting of two (2) 10,000-gallon fuel tanks, fuel dispensers, and a fuel monitoring system.  A vessel sewage pump-out facility was also implemented.

Today the Harbor is a fully functional facility serving the community.  The Kewalo Basin Harbor Improvements project has been selected to receive the 2020 GCA Build Hawaii Awards Excellence Award!