KEKAHA — If everything goes according to plan, the new dock at the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor should be ready for users Thursday, said Doug Fraser, project manager for American Marine.
The construction company headed up the harbor dredging and returned to do structure work on the new dock.
“We were here for a year and a half and every day the seniors who visited the harbor would tell us they wanted a new dock,” Fraser said. “We came back and now they have their wish.”
Fraser said the dock is a collaborative effort between the state, which funded the lumber and materials for the dock, American Marine, which did the structure work, and community volunteers who helped with the finish work.
There were more volunteers helping lay out the planking for the dock than there were state and American Marine personnel Tuesday morning.
“I took off work for a couple of days so I could be here,” said Phil Fudge, who handles the maintenance for the YMCA of Kaua‘i in Puhi. “I’m tired of commuting to Port Allen, and when this project is done, hopefully, we can come back to Kekaha.”
State Rep. Roland Sagum, D-16th District, was another of the volunteers who was helping move lumber to the site of the new dock.
“I went to the green conference early so I could come here and help,” he said. “Ron Agor is one of the major players for this effort. Unfortunately, a lot of the key people couldn’t be here helping. They’re working.”
Fudge said in addition to the new lumber and footings, the dock facia will be made of a new type of material made of plastic and other non-corrosive material.
“There won’t be any more rubber tires (to prevent scuffs to boats),” Fudge said. “There will be a bumper system made of non-damaging material to go along with the new facia.”
Kristy Kahananui normally tends to harbors from the Wailua River to Hanalei Bay, but came to help at Kikiaola the past few days. On Tuesday, her task was to rid the area of the dock trimmings.
“Manny Andrade, he’s the caretaker here, worked really hard to get this,” she said. “He’s been asking and asking for a long time.”
Fraser said in conjunction with the work being done by the volunteers, the Army Corps of Engineers was conducting its nine-month inspection of the harbor’s outer seawall, indicating the project is nearing its completion.
“The federal people already did a ceremony with Sen. Inouye celebrating the completion of its share of the work,” Sagum said. “Once everything is completed, I’m sure the state will have some sort of ceremony.”
As the workers toiled under the Westside sun, the group of seniors sat silently in the shade of the pavilion, their eyes taking in the scope of work.
