Young Brothers, LLC, held a blessing for its new Tier 4 tug boat, the Kapena Raymond Alapai, on Monday upon its arrival in Hilo. It’s the second such tug to be added to the interisland shipper’s fleet of six tug boats and eight barges, servicing seven ports on Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Lanai and the Big Island.

Tier 4 tugs offer faster towing speeds with lower emissions. The acquisition of the four tugs are the first new tugs the company has added in 20 years.

“The Kapena Raymond Alapai represents our commitment to provide unmatched inter-island freight handling and transportation services and superior customer service to the people of Hawaii,” said Joe Boivin, president of Young Brothers, in a statement. “Our new tugs will reduce carbon emissions, increase fuel savings and help advance Hawaii’s energy sustainability goals.”

The Kapena Raymond Alapai is named for one of the company’s first captains and Alapai’s son, Jay Cee Alapai, spoke at the blessing. “It’s an honor to know my father left a legacy,” he said, according to a statement issued by Young Brothers. “We’re the type of family that is very low key, but to have a prestigious company like Young Brothers do something like this for our dad is something remarkable. He would be overwhelmed as well as very humbled.”

Young Brothers handles nearly all interisland cargo shipping, making more than 600 sailings per year.

(Source: Pacific Business News)