HILO, Hawaii — A Pearl Harbor-based destroyer is waiting off the coast of the Big Island in hopes of visiting Hilo for the Merrie Monarch Festival.
The USS Chung-Hoon was expected to arrive Friday. But Navy spokesman Chief John Hageman says the ship’s commanding officer and the harbor pilot decided it wasn’t safe to pull into Hilo harbor because it was too shallow.
Hageman says the sailors are looking forward to attending the hula competitions and participating in the festival. He says the Navy is still looking for ways for the sailors to come ashore.
Hageman says the Pacific Fleet Band is still expected to join the Merrie Monarch Royal Parade on Saturday.
The ship is named for Rear Admiral Gordon Paiea Chung-Hoon, the first Native Hawaiian admiral in the U.S. Navy.