HONOLULU -- On Friday, a barge and a crane were moved off the shore of Waikiki.

The crane will be used for the state's Waikiki Sand Replenishment Project.

For some, the large barge and crane may be a temporary eyesore, but it's not just the view that is raising eyebrows; but it's also the stench.

"I smelled grease, and it smelled like diesel. I know what diesel smells like," said Waikiki beach boy Larry "Aki" Akiyama.

"Everybody's talking about it. They said it's like surfing in the Mainland. I said, 'Yeah, I was surfing in the mainland three days ago in the snow. This is much better,'" said Stephen White, a surfer.

Akiyama's concerns go much deeper. He believes the sand dredging will disrupt those whose ashes were scattered in the ocean, including several longtime beach boys and friends.

"They're pumping sand from a Hawaiian graveyard. That's where all us guys drop our ashes out there, our friends from all the old time days. People from all over the world drop ashes, too," said Akiyama.

Akiyama supports the state's project to build back the beach. For him, it's good for business. But, he is asking the state to hold a special blessing for the dead.

"We have infinite respect for the culture and the ancestral issues related to the people who have been buried in the waters of Waikiki," said the state administrator of the Department of Conservation and Coastal Lands, Sam Lemmo.

Lemmo said the state is planning a ceremony to pray for the souls. He added a similar blessing was held earlier this month, but this time it will be open to Akiyama and others interested in attending.

"I specifically asked the contractor to please make sure the Kahu speaks about the deceased and the ashes and respecting the dead," said Lemmo.

Lemmo said the blessing will either be this Sunday or Monday.

On Saturday, the project's contractor will connect a 2,000-foot pipe to the barge. The state said the sand pumping could begin as early as Monday.

As far as the diesel smell, Lemmo said it is expected with a project like this one but there is no health threat to the public or marine life.