Boatbuilding
Starting the Build: An Insider’s Look into the Excitement Behind the Scenes at Holo Holo Charters’ Boatbuilding Shop
We are so excited to share the news: we have started building our new catamarans! Cheehoo! Today, we invite you inside Holo Holo’s Boatbuilding Shop for an exclusive Q&A interview with Holo Holo’s owners, Chandra and Adrian Bertsch.
Chandra & Adrian Bertsch’s boys peeking at the hull mold after it arrived at the shop
Q. What is the general process of building the boat?
A. In very basic terms, to build the foundation or shell of the boat, you must make a mold for the hulls, layup the hulls, build and install bulkheads in the hulls, build the deck and cabin, and then put it all together! From there, we will complete the interior build-out and fare and paint everything. Then, wiring, electrical, plumbing, and installation of all the systems and equipment, which means everything from benches to engines, toilets, railings, windows, and more. Also, installing the vessel control systems, helm station, rudders, and everything else it takes to operate and navigate.
Q. Where do the materials come from?
A. We ordered the hull mold from a company in Nevada. Materials from all over the world are on their way, including fibers from Italy, foam from Canada, resin from Minnesota, engines from Indiana, and windows from Pennsylvania. The logistics of shipping large items (a forty-foot mold!), hazardous materials (some of the materials used require special handling), and the sheer quantity of materials we need have been the most challenging parts of the build so far! There is a reason there are no large boat yards in Hawaiʻi or much production of any kind in Hawaiʻi. It may not be the cheapest or easiest option to build here, but that’s who we are (boatbuilders!), and we are committed to staying true to who we are.
We contracted with an excellent boatbuilding company based in Rhode Island, Carbon Ocean Yachts, an expert in building high-quality racing vessels for prestigious sailing events. They are producing and shipping custom pieces to us for the build. While our owners are boat builders by trade, we haven’t built anything in many years and are using a new building technique. We want to ensure we have the expertise and guidance of seasoned pros to eliminate any learning curves we may encounter. The team at Carbon Ocean Yachts has been incredible in supporting our unique project.
Q. I understand Adrian is leading the boatbuilding project. How many more people are involved?
A. For the past few months, we have been seeking great people to add to our boatbuilding team. In addition to Adrian, we have four people working on our project and are still looking for two more. Please send your resume to hradmin@holoholocharters.com if you want to participate in this exciting project!
Q. Where are you in the process of building the boats, and when do you anticipate they will be complete?
A. For the last two years, we have been researching, designing, and fine-tuning exactly what we want our boats to be. We solicited input from our entire team to ensure we had thought of all the ways to improve our current vessels, limit maintenance downtime, enhance the tour experience, and create the best working conditions for our team. We have been working with an engineering firm for this custom design and coordinating with the Coast Guard to approve our plans before starting the build.
Adrian Bertsch inspecting the hull mold at the production facility in Nevada – April 2024
Some smaller pieces have been constructed, materials are en route, and the shop is set up with all the tools and equipment we need. We ordered the mold from a company in Nevada that cut and shaped exactly what we wanted. It would have delayed our build another year if we had chosen to build the mold ourselves.
We have been in full boatbuilding mode since the beginning of July! We anticipate completing the first vessel in June 2026, with tours commencing a few months later after diligent setup, testing, and training. The second vessel is expected roughly around June 2029. Our team will solidify the exact timeline as we complete the first build.
Q. What are the dimensions of the new boats?
A. They will be 75 feet long and 28 feet wide, longer than Holoholo and the same width as Leila.
Q. How many people will the new boats accommodate?
A. Although we could accommodate more people, local regulations limit vessels that tour along the Nāpali Coast to a maximum of 49 passengers. With the added space and thoughtful layout of the new vessels, we will have covered table seating and ample space for all 49 passengers.
Q. Besides the size, will the new boats differ from Holoholo and Leila? If so, how and why?
A. The main difference is that the new vessels will be made from carbon rather than fiberglass. Our design goals were simple: create more space and a more comfortable ride for our guests without losing efficiency. When trying to accomplish that for a vessel, bigger means heavier, which translates to less efficient and goes against our core principles of efficiency and sustainability. So, to get bigger, we need to build as light as possible. Therefore, we will use carbon, which requires less material but offers the same or greater strength and durability.
We will be utilizing a vacuum resin infusion process. When done right, it ensures the laminate has a lower void content. It is much stronger than hand layup, open mold production, or traditional boatbuilding techniques. This is modern boatbuilding with the best materials available to build larger, lighter, and stronger boats that last longer.
Another difference is that both vessels will be identical. Holoholo and Leila are unique, one-of-a-kind, single-production vessels. Often, molds produce five, twenty, or one hundred identical vessels. Our mold is custom, but we will use the same mold for both new boats, so in concept, they will be identical unless we find some minor improvements with the first vessel that we want to implement when building the second.
A noticeable change for our guests will be that the new boats are both motorboats rather than sailboats. While we love sailing and are passionate sailors at the core, we are not capable of completing the tour the way we want by sailing. For all of our tour routes, to get to Nāpali and Niʻihau, the distance is too far to accomplish under sail in a daily tour setting. With Leila, there are some days we can’t sail at all due to weather conditions, and when we do sail, it is at most an hour of a four or five-hour tour. We aim to deliver the best tour experience with less impact from ocean and weather conditions due to the larger and more stable vessels.
Q. Is there anything else you would like to highlight about the boats, the boatbuilding process, or what these two new boats mean for the evolution and future of Holo Holo Charters?
A. Our boatbuilding project is a huge investment in our future! We strive to be the best and to do that, we have to stay ahead of ourselves! For those of you who joined us on tour within the last year, you had the pleasure of seeing our remodeled office space. We have been in that space for over 20 years, so it was time to update and modernize it to match our brand and experience. And now, it’s also time to update our experiences on the water.
Portion of the hull mold before being shipped to Kaua’i – April 2024
Our current vessels are amazing, incredible, and powerful. Given their age and how much they work every day, they are in excellent condition! With both of our current vessels being around 30 years old, they still have plenty of life left, but we are planning ahead and ensuring Holo Holo Charters maintains its position as the Best Boat Tour in the U.S.
Alrighty, friends, that’s a wrap. Thanks for reading along and sharing the boatbuilding journey with us! Stay tuned; we are just getting started. Aloha, and we’ll see you on the water soon!
Hull mold after arriving on Kauaʻi, not yet unpacked