The vessel was built in 1920 in
Kiel, Germany, as a two-masted
schooner at the
Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft shipyard. Christened as
Mary, she was just under long, with a nominal displacement of (gross). Because Krupp had built her hull using steel that had been intended for U-boats,
Komet (and her sisters) developed a reputation for longevity.
Komet was purchased in 1973 by the non-profit "Lahaina Restoration Foundation" (LRF). for approximately $21,000 and motored from Søby, Denmark to Hawaii by an all-Lahaina crew. The 105 day passage, The addition of internal ballast allowed moisture to condense between it and the steel hull, which rusted to a point where it nearly split in half. LRF was spending $50,000 per year to maintain the ship. In 2003, LRF approached Atlantis Submarines, a local tourist concern, proposing to sell
Carthaginian II to be sunk as an underwater attraction. Atlantis spent $350,000 on an environmental study and cleaning her in preparation for becoming an artificial reef. On December 13, 2005, the boat was towed and sunk at a depth of approximately , off the coast near Puamana Beach Park. It serves as a destination for diving expeditions and submarine tours.
Scuba Diving and
Sport Diver have rated the site as one of the top locations for shipwreck diving. LRF was given 120 days to replace the vessel before the berth would be reclaimed for commercial operations. The berth was proposed as a potential home for the voyaging canoes ''Mo'okiha o Pi'ilani
or Mo'olele
, but Mo'okiha'' was berthed at Maalaea Harbor instead in 2016. == References ==