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Manele Small Boat Harbor

Manele Small Boat Harbor (SBH) is located on the southern coast of the island of Lana’i. The project was authorized under Section 107 of the River and Harbor Act of 1960. The local sponsor is the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawai’i. The project is in the operations and maintenance phase.

The construction of the harbor was completed in December 1965 at a total project cost of $742,845 (Federal:  $370,845; non-Federal:  $372,000).  The project consists of an extension of the existing stub breakwater with a rubble-mound breakwater (580 feet long) with a crest elevation of 8-14 feet; an entrance channel that is 12 feet deep; and a main access channel and turning areas that are 8 feet deep.  The structure is not typical of the keyed and fitted construction placement used on other projects, rather more of a randomly placed type. 

Manele SBH is the only public boat harbor on the island of Lana’i. Visitors who take the ferry from Maui to Lana’i arrive at Manele SBH. The harbor also provides recreation excursion such as fishing and snorkeling tour boats. The activity at Manele SBH is limited to traffic from excursions and charters, while the other harbor on the island, Kaumalapau, handles commercial shipping. There is a nearby pebble beach at the east corner of Manele Bay, which is a popular diving and snorkeling spot.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the project depths in the entrance channel, main access channels and turning basin areas.  The local sponsor is responsible for maintaining depths in berthing and mooring areas and to clean out the sediment basin above the harbor. Maintenance dredging within the Federal project limits of the harbor was completed in June 2005.