30x24, Acrylic on Canvas, KU‘ULAKAI was moored in Steveston Harbour, where she was undergoing a slow but loving restoration. Ku‘ulakai is named after the Hawaiian fishing god, revered by fishermen. According to unverified online sources, she was built in 1944 and originally served as a tugboat along the West Coast of British Columbia. She is believed to be the only intact Miki-class tug remaining in Canadian waters. Reportedly constructed as a wooden Miki-class U.S. Army tug (LT-465), she was used by the U.S. Navy during World War II to tow damaged ships from the Pacific theater back for repairs. Later in her life, online sources claim she was involved in drug smuggling operations in the South Pacific. In 1988, she was allegedly seized by the Canadian Coast Guard for trafficking drugs out of China. Originally named Lloyd B. Gore, she was decommissioned and sold in 1946.

Photographer: Christie Haddrell

Each original is ready to hang on gallery wrapped canvas and comes with a certificate of authenticity.