Shipwreck Kelly's - Waikiki

I stumbled up on this in a junk store the other day and wore it around on my finger until I made it up to the register. I bought it for a sawbuck and wandered out quite puzzled as to what is could have been used for.

Getting home, I fired up the 'ole database and began searching for anything on Shipwreck Kelly's - Waikiki. The restaurant seems to have opened in the late 1950s and reached its zenith in the 1960s. It was a popular nautical themed restaurant with nightly shows with decent headliners of the day. I have since found out that Shipwreck Kelly's opened a couple of West Coast locations at some point before it finally closed. I'm guessing that it must have been similar to Dante's Down-The-Hatch (for you fellow Atlantans out there...).

I do not know much more than that. If this info is not completely correct, somebody step in and set the record straight. As for this item, it is approximately two and a half inches long and is signed with "sss" on the bottom. This is the same moniker seen on the Tahitian Lanai mugs. The glaze is also the same. The dorsal fin is obviously the handle... I have not seen one of these before and am very interested to know its original function.

Mahalo.

Swamp

[ Edited by: Swamp Tiki 2008-05-27 18:45 ]

[ Edited by: Swamp Tiki 2008-05-27 18:47 ]

wasn't shipwreck kellys on lewers st??i think it had a statue of a sailor out front(shipwreck kelly i assume)with some tiki torches .i could be wrong. i might have been drinking.

Not sure if this is the same bar But I found this...
Third example down in the list..
http://www.outrigger.com/aboutus_saturday_briefing_articles.aspx?article=2327&section=19

[ Edited by: beachbumz 2008-05-27 22:30 ]

Yes, Shipwreck Kellys used to be on Lewers Street, in the Holiday Isle Hotel. I played guitar witha group called Billy K and the Seamen back in the late 1960's. I have a set of shipwreck Kellys mugs that I found on ebay.

On 2008-09-12 22:45, lkmuller wrote:
Yes, Shipwreck Kellys used to be on Lewers Street, in the Holiday Isle Hotel. I played guitar witha group called Billy K and the Seamen back in the late 1960's. I have a set of shipwreck Kellys mugs that I found on ebay.

Aloha lkmuller and welcome aboard! There was a related thread
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7995&forum=1&hilite=SHIPwreck%20kelly

Looks like more info will be available soon....can't wait for Fils book :) Any picts of your mugs? Mahalo, Freddie

Hwozit Freddie,

No problem to snap a pic of the set I have. Son as I get a chance I'll take a couple pictures and post them. Actually got pictures of inside the club too. Geez they bring back a lot of memories!

On 2008-05-27 22:28, beachbumz wrote:
Not sure if this is the same bar But I found this...
Third example down in the list..
http://www.outrigger.com/aboutus_saturday_briefing_articles.aspx?article=2327&section=19

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[ Edited by: beachbumz 2008-05-27 22:30 ]

Yes, it's the same place. In fact, I remember Lyle Guslander very well. I also remember his daughter Willie who used to come into the club to see us.

Nice find. I thought it may have been for soy sauce or some other condiment but it's a bit small and looks like stuff would pour out to easy. Maybe a tooth pick holder. Great find anyway.

i have some swizzle sticks from here. they're paddles with shipwreck kelly's on the handle and a tall ship on top.