M/V Kulamanu (Golden Bird)

History & Specifications

Loa:                  222’ REGISTERED
                        282’ WITH ALL EXTENSIONS
Beam:               52.5 feet
Draft:                10 feet
MastHeight:       131 feet
Sails:                4 Square Sails
                        4 Stay Sails
                        1 Spanker sail 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION  The Kula Manu  was originally built in 1946 in Wilmington, Delaware by Lancaster Iron Works. It was converted to a four-masted barkentine passenger vessel under Subchapter H in 1980.  She is U.S. Coast Guard certified for 1,000 passengers and a crew of up to 60 for a total of 1,060 persons.  She has been primarily operating for dinner cruises every evening off WaikikiBeach with occasional special daytime charters.  Her marine crew, is approximately 14 persons.

 The vessel is all steel-welded with a long bow sprit and has four steel masts that carry small sails, essentially for visual and aesthetic purposes.  There are four decks.  The vessel is powered by twin 1,000 hp Superior engines.

 History of the Vessel  Measuring a full 282 feet long and 55 feet wide, the Kula Manu is licensed to carry 1000 passengers.  Her four masts stand 131-feet above the water, giving her a romance and appeal which is truly unique.

Built in 1946 in Perryville, Maryland by Lancaster Iron Works, the Windjammer “Rella Mae” originally cruised for the Wilson Lines on the East Coast.  It was last operated as the “George Washington” on the Potomac River, sailing fromWashington, D.C. to Mount Vernon, Virginia.

In July of 1979, the former owner of the Windjammer Fleet of Tall Ships purchased the vessel and had her rebuilt in NorfolkVirginia, a project which lasted eleven months and four days.

On June 7, 1980, the “Rella Mae” departed Norfolk for her new home in Hawaii.  She sailed more than 7,000 miles, traveling through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific, arriving in Honolulu on July 13^th.

The vessel has approximately 20,000 square feet of public space located on three decks.  The first deck seats approximately 350 buffet style, and contains a full bar, gift shop and game room. The second deck seats approximately 300 guests, and features a full performance stage and bar.  A private salon seating up to 25 is also available on this deck.  The third “Hurricane” deck features two separate dining areas. The aft (rear) salon seats 60 and features an open hearth grill and bar.  The forward salon seats 100 . This open deck features an outdoor entertainment “pagoda” and dancing area (under sail) for up to 300 people.

This vessel has romance and appeal.  Her tall masts can be seen from great distances, and when lit at night, are a major attraction.  The Hurricane deck (also known as the sun deck) affords passengers spectacular viewing when under sail.  This deck also features live entertainment and dancing.
DECKS

 MAIN DECK (Captain’s Deck)  The Kula Manu’s main deck This deck consists of general stowage, an office, a dining area with buffet areas on both port and starboard wings, another dining area seating 380 with performance stage and bar, and  another small office.  Aft are a gift shop and a video game room, along with men’s and women’s restrooms. The forepeak area has an electric drive motor for her windlass, and the aft deck holds a windlass to handle stern lines. 

 ENGINEER’S DECK/SECOND DECK  This deck is under the main deck and consists of a chain locker forward, the bow thruster room (with an escape hatch in the overhead), various crew quarters, the scullery, the galley, the engine room, machine shop, lazarette, and an aft steering area (with an escape hatch). Between these spaces, she has seven transverse watertight bulkheads with six watertight doors.  All of these have alarms and light indicators in the pilothouse.

ADMIRAL’S DECK (01)  This deck is open forward with her bow sprit, two haws pipes, the ideal electric windlass and double bitt.  A small bench seat sets along the centerline, and a ladder to the bridge and pilothouse sets to starboard.  This deck has a photo shop, a dining area seating approximately 320 persons, a stage, a bar and an additional private dining area aft with seating for 20 persons.

HURRICANE DECK(02) The Hurricane Deck carries the vessel’s 20-man life rafts on port and starboard.  There is an office forward, a bar and dining/dancing area which seats 100, a fantail lounge with seating for 90 and a grill/galley area.  There is a sliding glass door that leads to a sun deck with an emergency generator set to port, and bench seating on port and starboard.All of the decks have adequate stairways and handrails. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

ENGINE SPACE The Kula Manu carries a full-time engineer. During drydock, her 1,000 hp four-cycle Superior diesel engines were checked over along with the air starting system (which uses seven bottles on both port and starboard sides).  The steering system is aft with hydraulic cylinders, and is equipped with an emergency backup steering system.  Both the engine space and the bow thruster room are equipped with CO₂ extinguishing systems and adequate alarms.
There are two 220v three-phase ship’s service generators rated at 100 kw and 125 kw.  The Kula Manu also carries a 20 kw emergency generator located on her upper deck.
RIG  The four steel masts of the vessel are set on her keel, and also act as ventilators.  It is noted that the masts are basically for aesthetic purposes. Most of the sails are on roller furling systems, and the rigging is all set to turnbuckles.

 DRYDOCK  The Kula Manu was last hauled out in January 2006 to April 2006, when she underwent extensive upgrading and maintenance to comply with the U.S. Coast Guard Certification requirements.  The ship will be delivered with fresh certificates.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION This is an all steel welded vessel, originally built in 1946 in Wilmington, Delaware by Lancaster iron Works as a ferry and converted to a four masted barkentine passenger vessel under Sub Chapter H in 1980 by Reg White.  She is USCG certified for 1,000 passengers a a total of 1,060 persons.  Her COI certification was renewed in September 1996 and she operates under “LakesBays and Sounds” in MamalaBay off WaikikiBeach.  She operates primarily for dinner cruises every evening and with an occasional special day time charter.  She normally carries a crew including waiters and entertainment personnel, of approximately 27 persons. She is a steel welded vessel with a long bowsprit and with basically 3 passenger decks and has 4 steel masts carring small sails, essentially for visual and aesthetic purposes.  She is powered by two 1,000 hp Superior diesels engines. 

DECK AREAS:

 Main Deck                          6,200 sq. ft.

Admirals’s deck                   6,500 sq. ft.

Hurrican deck fwd.               1,500 sq. ft.

Hurrican open area              2,400 sq. ft.

Hurrican broiler                    1,600 sq. ft.

Total area                           18,200 sq. ft.

 

GRT	949
NRT	645
USCG Type	Sub Chapter H
Hull	Welded Steel ¼” 5/16”
Bilge pumps	2x manifold
Anchors	2 Danforth
Chain	¾” x 200’
Windlass	6” Ideal
Water	Pressure Hot and Cold
Water Tanks	4, steel integral
Capacity Water	6,000 gallons
Main Engines	Superior VDST 2x
Horsepower	1,000 each
Fuel	Diesel
Tankage	6x tanks mid ship 6,000 gallons
Exhaust	Dry stack
Generators	100kw 125kw 20kw
Propeller	Twins 4 blades 60”x48”
Shafts	7”
Sails	6 roller furling
Spars	Steel
Radio	VHF Standard Voyager
Horn	Air
Depth Recorder	President 380
Clock	Seth Thomas 5”
Barometer	5” Seth Thomas
Compass	6” galaxy
Ship Bell	Standard
Searchlight	3x
Other nav. Equipment	Rudder Angle Indicator, inclinometer
Dinghy	12’
Raft	32x 20 man rafts
Life rings	6x
Fire Axes	6x
Life preserves	1,067 adult 107 children
Flares/pyrothecnics	Approved type
Fire pumps	2x
Cleveland convection steamer
Wells hot grill
2x Toastmaster convection ovens
Utility freezer
Walk in cooler
Hobart oven
Air compressor
Kingsbury thrust bearing
3x water heaters
Lincoln welder
Icomatic ice maker
Dumb waiter
Stero dishwasher
Anets warm oven