The state got closer to bringing most of its docks at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor into service yesterday, with the opening of three revamped docks that will generate about $28,350 in monthly revenue.

The new docks, which include 174 slips, cost about $3 million.

The work is part of a multi-year effort to rehabilitate the harbor, whose aging wooden docks are crumbling in places. Since 2002, the state has spent more than $7 million on improvements at the harbor. A $2.25 million project is set to go out to bid this summer for work to replace 44 slips that are currently not in service on the 700 row.

The project will also include improvements to the sewer and water system, and is set to wrap up in August 2010. Once the work is complete, only four slips will be out of service.

Laura H. Thielen, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the new dock and other upgrades are a long time coming. "Many of you have been waiting years, sometimes decades, for improvements to the harbors," Thielen told about 25 people who gathered yesterday for the dedication of the new B, C and D docks.

But she stressed that more work needs to be done.

DLNR had asked for $5.4 million for other improvements to the Ala Wai Boat Harbor in its "Recreational Renaissance" plan. The money didn't come through, but Thielen said she is looking for a "Plan B" to do the work.

DLNR officials pointed out that 140 of the 732 slips at the harbor are nearly 50 years old and need to be replaced.

Also, the electrical, sewer and water systems at the harbor were installed in the late 1960s.

The harbor brings in about $155,000 a month in slip fees.

The docks that were dedicated yesterday are constructed of aluminum and are expected to last longer than wooden or concrete docks. The new docks replaced concrete ones installed in 1972, and deemed unsafe last year.

Gov. Linda Lingle, who attended the dedication and blessing of the new docks, said the harbor upgrades are crucial to boaters who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods or for enjoyment.

"Access to our oceans is important to our economy," she said, "but I think it's especially important to our lifestyle."