Nautical artifacts are commonly found in a tiki bar, but what about if a tiki bar is on a boat? This is The Pau Hana Lounge. It’s a tiki bar that was built inside one of the passenger decks of “On the Hiyu”. On the Hiyu is a restored ferryboat from 1967 that Jeff Wilson and David Crellin restored and repurposed into a floating arts and entertainment venue. David Crellin invited me on board to show me around. We sat down in the Pau Hana Lounge, sipped some rum, and talked …
What is On the Hiyu all about?
David- On The Hiyu is Seattle’s Premier Floating Arts, Events and Entertainment Venue. We are, as it were, a mini-amusement park on a boat – Live music, movies, cabaret and circus shows, theatre shows, dance parties, summer BBQ’s, brunch, flea markets, sunset cruises, camp-outs, a whiskey bar, a tiki bar … as well as any other dreams and ideas that we think are fun. Because we have created so many different areas on the boat, from dance spaces to chill spaces, themed bars to open deck viewing and dining, our guests can move from space to space as their mood and desires dictate. It is a place to inspire, engage and celebrate life.
The Hiyu used to be a Washington State ferry; can you talk about the history of the boat?
David- The description on our website, www.onthehiyu.com tells the story well …
On The Hiyu began its glorious career as the MV Hiyu, a working, passenger vessel with the Washington State Ferry system. Built by Gunderson Brothers of Portland, the Hiyu went into service in the summer of 1967 working the Point Defiance-Tahlequah, Vashon Island route, and then took over inter-island duty in the San Juan Islands where the Hiyu earned the nickname “the little ferry that could.” On July 23, 2015, the Hiyu was put in service for the last time. In February 2017 the state reached an agreement to sell the MV Hiyu to Menagerie, Inc., who would keep the MV Hiyu in the Northwest, preserving her legacy and give her a new life as Seattle’s premier floating arts, events and entertainment venue, On The Hiyu.
How did the idea of creating On the Hiyu come about?
David- I met the owner of the boat, Jeff Wilson when we were both working on a circus/cabaret project, he as executive producer, and I as artistic director. We got along well, started hanging out as friends, but also talking about art and culture. Jeff had a successful career as the owner of a tile business and was looking for a way to give back and facilitate more art and creativity in the world. He had a few film and live theater projects under his belt, but wanted to do something on a grander scale. I had been working around the world in circus & cabaret as a performer, director and educator, for about 20 years and was ready to embark on something that would combine those skills, as well as create something lasting for my peeps in the Northwest. We started looking for venue spaces, which proved very challenging, especially with high enough ceilings for aerial circus performances.
Jeff heard through an acquaintance about a retired Washington State ferryboat for sale. He called me up and asked what I thought, and I told him that the idea was intriguing but that the devil would be in the details. So Jeff scheduled for us to go look at it. At that time, Jeff was also working with Al Parisi on a few side projects. Al has a long resume of festival and live music experience. Al became part of the team. So, the three of us headed over to Bainbridge to have a look. Mind you, the boat had been sitting for a few years and was pretty rusty and filled with parts, propellers and other bits of maritime bric-a-bric. But it was a gorgeous, open palette just waiting to be repurposed with intent and vision! I remember very clearly Jeff walking up to me after a few minutes and asking me if I saw any possibilities. I told him, “Hell yes!” And so, Jeff bought the Hiyu, and we set about to make it all we knew it could be.
There are two bars on the boat; can you talk about The Salish Room?
David- The Salish Room is our Northwest Maritime Whiskey Bar. It is a full-service bar with a focus on whiskey and bourbon. We kept the seating arrangement from the Hiyu’s original layout as well as much of the traditional signage from its working days as a passenger ferry.
We added portholes, signal lanterns, and other artifacts reminiscent of Northwest seafaring life. And we named the bar in acknowledgement of the indigenous peoples that originally navigated the coastal waterways of this region. It’s a cozy, inviting bar lounge to tuck into a booth with a nice beverage and good friends.
Saving the best for last, tell us about The Pau Hana Lounge.
David- Ah yes, The Pau Hana Lounge … my precious (*insert Golem voice here). When we began the process of transforming the Hiyu, I knew that I wanted to create themed bars in the former passenger lounges. I grew up in Southern California when tiki bars were still a fairly common occurrence. I have fond memories of the kind of feeling they evoked when I was a boy – relaxed, comfortable and imaginative. A place where you could transport yourself and have a mini-vacation provided by the sights, sounds and ambiance. A place that didn’t take itself so seriously and invited you to join in the fun. I also grew up on and in the ocean, so anything having to do with water is a win. For me, that is one of the most vivid environments with which to be engaged. So the idea of combining a tiki bar with actually being on the water was pretty much as good as it gets!
I knew what I wanted in broad strokes, general layout and feel, but needed to find the right person to translate it into reality. Jeff’s fiancée, Lara, who is a world traveler and entrepreneur, said we should contact her buddy, Aleks “Petro” Petrovich, who was a great designer and tiki aficionado and had created the look for Aqua Surf Shop in San Francisco as well as lots of other projects. We gave him a call, he was stoked to do it and so he assembled his team (which included his surf buddies/builders, his dog and his parrot) and drove up here to basically live on the dock for 3 weeks and create the tiki bar.
Yes, we had the epic experience of having a tiki bar being constructed on the boat with a talking parrot onboard! Alek’s design aesthetic and implementation far exceeded both my imagination and our expectations as well. He totally crushed it! And, he created the design for our Mai Tai glass, as well as for the KILLER tiki mug we are having made. Petro is da’ man!
Around this same time, Jeff and I went down to Southern California to do “R & D” and hit as many tiki bars as we could fit into our 3-½ day trip. I think we tallied 7 or 8. All part of the job, you know. The main focus, in reality, was to visit the amazing studio of Bosko Hrnjak (www.tikibosko.com), one of the pre-eminent tiki carvers in the world. Tucked up in the foothills near San Diego, he has a wonderland of artistry running all through his property. We handpicked all of the pieces we wanted for the bar and had them shipped up to Seattle.
After that, with a visit to Oceanic Arts for bamboo, tapa cloth and other fascinations, we headed back home to put it all together. The last thing that remained was what to christen the bar with a name. I ruminated on what was the feeling I wanted people to have when they came to visit us. And it was the original vibe I felt growing up going into tiki bars, and the sense of fun and community it inspired. In Hawaiian, the word “Pau” means “finished” or “done”, as in “I am finished with my food”, etc. “Hana” means “work, activity, job or occupation.” But combined “Pau Hana” means not only literally “after work” but also the idiomatic sense of it being time to relax, chill, have a drink, be social and hang with friends. That is what we want our tiki bar, The Pau Hana Lounge to be.
As to our drink menu, we have a selection of classic tiki favorites, to variations on a theme, and a few new creations to add to the party. Though the Pau Hana Lounge will be a full-service bar, our focus is tropical libations and quality rums. We’ll also be featuring live tiki, surf, and lounge bands on special nights.
Check out this video that King 5 did for On the Hiyu
Here is the On the Hiyu’s website
And their Facebook page