18 FOGHORN Before he arrived in Kaua‘i, Kevin was building and sailing boats across the Pacific Ocean. He took those experiences and applied them to designing and constructing vessels specifically for the open-water conditions and the remote location of the Nāpali Coast. From a former pineapple cannery in Lawai, he founded Holoholo Charters with the company’s flagship vessel Holoholo. Holoholo was the perfect name for both company and vessel as the Hawaiian word means to go for a walk, ride, or sail—traveling and exploring with no particular destination. The company’s second vessel, Leila, was built by Kevin in 1993 and was used by an operation in Maui. A few years later when the vessel was for sale, Kevin purchased her back, rounding out Holoholo’s fleet. Though both boats are still in good condition, ten years ago the company began planning their next generation of vessels. Co-owners Kevin Millett and Chandra and Adrian Bertsch made the decision to build the new fleet themselves. Like Kevin, Adrian Bertsch brings years of experience to the project having started constructing boats in his teen years. Adrian, nicknamed Holoholo’s “Boat Boss,” is leading the build. Together, the team com- bined their background experience with knowledge from lessons learned running the company and guest and crew feedback to develop vessels that will elevate the onboard experience, streamline maintenance, and improve the op- eration’s sustainability. They designed the vessels and worked with marine archi- tects and engineers to finalize the plans. Finding land just a few doors from Holoholo Charters, they constructed a warehouse in 2022, and by 2023, the vessel build had officially begun. The first vessel to launch will be Holo Nui. Chandra ex- plained that nui in Hawaiian means grand or important but can also mean fast. The team likens it to an upgraded, bigger version of Holoholo. Holo Mua, the sister ship, means to progress or move forward, and was inspired by the com- pany building on what they’ve learned to move forward with the second edition. The defining feature of the new vessels is the company’s de- cision to build them using carbon infusion, which means they are built using a vacuum resin infusion process with carbon fiber reinforcements. It is a first for a leisure boat company to utilize this material in their vessels. Attending a multi-week course to learn the process, Adrian was in class with people from companies like Boeing and SpaceX. Their engineering firm connected them with a boatyard in Rhode Island that builds carbon infusion yachts. Mer- ritt and the Bertschs recognized that the material, size, and style of the vessels are new to them and have found the company in Rhode Island to be a mentor throughout the process. The company built a few pieces for Holoholo Charters and have even had a couple people on site to offer hands-on support. “We have a team of about eight or so full-time boat builders on our staff, and then we add two- plus depending on what we need from the carbon ocean yachts team,” Chandra said. As carbon infusion is relatively new in this sphere, Holoho- lo Charters has been working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the process. The Coast Guard has been involved in almost every step, working with the team to get them timely answers and approvals along the way. Adopt- FOGHORN FOCUS The defining feature of the new vessels is the company’s decision to build them using carbon infusion, which means they are built using a vacuum resin infusion process with carbon fiber reinforcements. It is a first for a leisure boat company to utilize this material in their vessels.
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