Largest crowd ever gathers to remember Hawaii Pilot Captain Dave "Kawika" Lyman

ROW 1 LEFT: (l-r) Tressie Ostermiller 2017 Lyman scholarship recipient, entering CMA next fall; Lori Ikehara-Lyman (Dave’s widow), Marion Lyman-Mersereau (Dave’s sister)

ROW 1 RIGHT:  (l-r) Captain Ron Radicali, Master of the HORIZON ENTERPRISE, Captain Ed Enos, and Mr. Harry Ornellas, Superintendent with Hawaii Stevedores Inc.

ROW 2 LEFT: (l-r) Capt. Kaipo Pomaikai (Sause Bros. Ocean Towing) leading guest in a ‘pule’ (prayer) before dinner; Mr. Leighton Tseu in background, who provided a ‘oli’ (chant) moments before; cadet Duke Quitevas, Lyman scholarship recipient 2016; cadet Gyle McGurn, Lyman scholarship recipient 2016; and cadet Hi’ilei Robinson (class of ’20) 

ROW 2 RIGHT: Bartender “ringing the bell” as Capt Ed Enos lead everyone in a toast to Dave Lyman. The bell rope on this bell was fashioned by Lyman over 20 years ago. It has deep symbolic meaning to all the seafarers that stop by for a cold brew. As ships enter Honolulu Harbor and pass by Gordon Biersch Restaurant, we blast the ship’s horn and the bell is always rung in response. A gesture we’ve continued in an effort to honor Lyman since 2006.

ROW 3: LEFT Capt Harry Bolton (l) presenting a plaque and “thank you” to Michael MacDonald of FOSS Hawaii, for continuing to provide free tug assist service to the GOLDEN BEAR

ROW 3 RIGHT: Capt Harry Bolton (l) presenting a plaque and “thank you” to Capt Sinclair Brown of the Hawaii Pilots Association, for continuing to provide free pilotage service to the GOLDEN BEAR

ROW 4: Employees and pilots of the Hawaii Pilots Association. 

The Dave Lyman Memorial Fundraising EventOn June 1st in the port of Honolulu Harbor, the biennial DAVE LYMAN MEMORIAL FUNDRAISING EVENT was held at the Aloha Tower Complex. This event was coincident with the arrival of the California Maritime Academy’s Training Ship GOLDEN BEAR. The BEAR was on her annual summertime training cruise and pulled into Honolulu Harbor on her way from South America, said Captain Ed Enos of the Hawaii Pilots Association.

Captain Enos, Vice President of the Dave Lyman Memorial Scholarship Board and member of the Hawaii Pilots Association, organized this year’s event at the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. The venue is immediately adjacent to the waterfront and the GOLDEN BEAR was berthed within full view of all the event guests. This year’s event saw the largest crowd ever with 270 attendees, from all over Hawaii’s maritime industry and friends of the late Capt Dave “Kawika” Lyman.

The fundraising event is held to raise money which is used to provide financial tuition assistance for local Hawaiian students attending the California Maritime Academy. Capt Enos says the Lyman Scholarship Board selects one student entering Cal Maritime each year as a freshman. The endowment provides approximately $2,500 each year, for that student, for the four years they attend Cal Maritime. The endowment has been providing a total of $10,000 in tuition assistance to four students every year, since it’s inception in 2007.

This year’s 10th anniversary event was a huge success. With the large turnout, the event raised a net amount of $33,000. Additionally, there were over $9000 in donations made by those who could not attend, but knew and loved Dave Lyman enough to support the charitable effort. And in addition to this money, were funds raised at the last American Pilots Association Convention held on the island of Maui late last year. This amount was approximately $14,000, making the total amount of money placed into the endowment in 2017 at $56,000. "This is an incredible way to celebrate the scholarship fund in it’s 10th year of existence," said Capt. Enos.

Hawaii’s local maritime industry has continued to provide strong and dedicated support for the charity event, throughout the past decade. Initial recipients of financial assistance are already working in our local industry and have been seen as ‘regulars’ on the waterfront. Capt. Enos recently bumped into Lyman scholarship recipient Shane Haggerty, class of 2016, on the gangway of the Matson container vessel M/V MAUNALEI. Haggerty was walking aboard the ship as the assigned night mate from the local MM&P hall. Enos had just completed a piloting job and was departing the ship. According to Capt. Enos, “This is the complete fulfillment of our dream. A company like Matson provides financial support to our charity effort. These ambitious local kids leave the comfort of their homes in Hawaii behind, go to college on the mainland, then return here to work on our waterfront."  

"Lo and behold, here they are working right now as soon as they get back. How awesome is that!? I know Dave Lyman would be proud of them all," said Capt. Enos.