(LAHAINA, MAUI) – The days of West Maui boaters having to travel 18 miles for refueling will soon come to an end.

The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) fuel system vendor for Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, is in the process of rebuilding the fire-damaged, above-ground portion of the fueling system at no cost to the state. Pacific Fuels site manager Johnny Pender Tuesday revealed the high-tech replacement system which includes new gasoline and diesel dispensers, a propane-fueled back-up electrical system, and a card reader for making payments. The underground fuel tanks were not damaged by the August wildfires.

“The payment system works off satellite and with our own power, we’re pretty much off the grid, so that means boaters will have a reliable way to fuel up,” Pender explained. The restored fuel system is the first of many projects in the works to fully restore the popular small boat harbor to full operations. Once it’s up and running boaters will be allowed to enter the harbor just for refueling.

“However, we’re looking at probably three years before everything is finished. Until the harbor is out of the restricted zone, no one can reach it by land,” said Finn McCall, DOBOR’s engineer.

McCall laid out the order of construction projects to restore the harbor.

Fuel system (construction underway)
Removal of piles and anchors (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE] permit approved Tuesday, construction begins next week, mid-June completion)
Dredging (including harbor basin and entrance channel to authorized navigational depths)
Reconstruction of the inner marginal wharf (new dock materials already on hand)
Replacement of front row piers (main area for commercial operators, design and permitting underway)
Replacement of outer marginal wharf (design, permitting and construction pending legislative funding)
Replacement of harbor office (Federal Highway Administration providing 80% funding and USACE handling debris removal)
“There’s still remnant fire debris in the inner harbor basin, following the clean-up and removal of 95 boats,” McCall said. When divers walked the harbor’s inner basin last November, they found a lot of debris, which appeared mostly to be fiberglass. Dredging depends on funding and DOBOR will work closely with scientists and health experts to be sure best practices are in place to mitigate the spread of pollutants and toxins into the harbor and the ocean.