Hawaii-based inter-island freight company Young Brothers’ first new barges in nearly two decades are expected to enter service in December, the company said Oct. 3. The announcement follows the recent christening of the barges -- named Kalohi and Nāulu -- which are part of a more than $45 million investment by the company to bolster its inter-island shipping service efficiency, capacity and reliability. The barges were custom-designed by Washington-based naval architecture firm Hockema Group and constructed in Louisiana by Conrad Shipyard. The 286-foot-long Kalohi was built to support smaller ports such as Kaunakakai (Moloka‘i) and Kaumalapau (Lāna‘i). “As the only…