Heading to Hawaii

[Randy]

Hawaii was great when I lived there. Maui - Lahaina specifically. It was never expensive, the sailing has some of the best variety there is -IMO. The deal with Lahaina was one to two storms per winter. Most boats were on private moorings in the roadstead during the storms you shoose to duck into the tiny harbor, sit on your mooring with the possibility of having to sail off if it gets too bad. I sat a couple out moored in 8' - 12" seas (fairly nervous), let out a ton of scope. I will say the last time I was out there there were quite a few less boats. The issue with locals is overblown & Honolulu is just another big city, fun to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

GO FOR IT

[questmiller]

Thanks Randy. What do you think about leaving a boat alone in the area? We'd prefer it to be on the hard somewhere while we go home for several months.

[Randy]

Well, in Maui you'd have to look towards Kahuluhi. Maalea used to work but I'm guessing it's built up now - there's probably a good haulout facility there. Any time but winter once you got to know people and the boat was on a mooring that might work. Or take it over to Oahu, it was common for guys to sail out to the islands & go back to the mainland for a spell.

[SkiprJohn]

Questmiller,
Try Gentry's Kona Marina 808-329-7896 to see about waiting list for dry storage. Its the only one I know on the Big Island. They probably won't have slips available but dry storage might be doable.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[arleen]

Aloha John.......This message is probably one you could easily answer for us: .......We are hoping to jump from Baja to Hawaii in December (hoping for a good weather window .....We have a land based "home" on the Puna coast (between Kapoho and Kalapana), but have never sailed into Hilo.....Can you recommend a spot where we could either anchor or get a relatively inexpensive berth in the area?

Mahalo!
Arleen
s/v Ubuntu
KPeterson 44

[roverhi]

Honokohau Marine at Honokohau Harbor, Kona side, Island of Hawaii has a large strorage yard with many boats doing what you intend. They currently have vacancies but it fills up quite often. It's not a long time waiting list but could be a couple of months or more depending on the season. If you want to do work on your boat, they go through the boatyard to the storage area across the street from the yard and can drop the boat in the work yard before moving it on to storage or back in the water. You can work on your boat at the yard but not in the storage space. All work is subcontractors or DIY. Yard only supplies electricity and space. Apparently a lot of people like the yard as we get boats from as far away as Kauai that come here to haul and work on their boats. Let me know if you need anymore info.

Aloha
Peter O.

[roverhi]

Oops, that's Gentry Marine as stated above. AFAIK, there is no travel lift haul out on Maui. We get boats from Maui all the time. Honolulu has a couple of boat yards but no land storage space convenient to the haulout facilities.

As far as slips, Ko Olina on Oahu is the only marina that regularly has space. It's a really nice modern facility but quite expensive. IIRC, they wanted $600 a month for a 35' sailboat.

Aloha
Peter O.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Arleen,
Reeds Bay in Hilo is one alternative on the Hilo side. For information on how the State system works please call the Island Harbormaster at 808-329-4997. For Radio Bay which is another alternative where the USCG and Customs and Matson container yard is then call 808-933-8850. Please call as soon as possible to get an idea of how the system works. They are really becoming stringent on the rules and space is filling up. I just talked yesterday witha a Harbormaster named Pat Ryan and he says they get 20 calls a week wanting to find a place to keep boats.
I must tell you that I've never been more angry at a government system as I am with Hawaii DLNR - Boating. They are absolutely the worst. Their excuse is always that they never have enough money, however, the money they get is spent frivolously. The Hawaii State government has no sympathy or aloha for boaters and just plain doesn't care. Its been that way for at least 30 years that I know of. I thought it would change with Governor Lingle but it actually got worse.
For example, on the East side of the island there is not one safe boat ramp where a sailboat can launch with the rig up. If you want to launch a trailerable sailboat with the rig up you need to drive 100 plus miles to Kona.
Our club at www.hilo-sailing.org will welcome you but we have no extra moorings or slips and even if we did the State would not let us sublet to you. We have to lock step with the rules, you know.
I'll stop venting now!
Regards,

[questmiller]

Thanks to all of you. I'm glad to see that there are alternatives and that we may not have to head into the frigid waters of our home port in Juneau immediately. Happy sailing!
Louise

[SkiprJohn]

Oh, I usually forget to ask if you are military retirees. There are three military marinas on Oahu. One each at Pearl Harbor, Hickam AFB and at Kaneohe MCAB. I don't have their numbers handy.
Regards,

[arleen]

Thanks John for all the info....Sorry I made you vent! I have heard some other horror stories --- and it's frustrating because we really want to find a way to make this work.....We'd like to spend about 4 months a year on the island --- but definitely need a safe spot for the boat during that time.....I will call the numbers you provided and hope that we can find a suitable option!
mahalo!
Arleen
s/v Ubuntu

[highseas]

Yikes!would not want to be in transit from Hawaii to PNW this week.Check out that low midway,developing this week.30ft. waves and winds to match.I pray no one is out there right now.

[SkiprJohn]

If they will allow you to moor in Reeds Bay it is a pretty safe anchorage except September through March. There are many wrecks here do to folks not putting down enough weight for their moorings and then not checking often enough.
Kind regards,

[roverhi]

You are probably referring to Tropical Depression Guillermo. There are a bunch of depressions generated in the Gulf of Panama during the summer and fall. The early ones tend to head west towards Hawaii, the later ones more often go north up the Mexico coast though this is not always the case. Just ask the people who were on Kauai when Iwa hit in November of '82. These depressions from Panama march across the Pacific, usually staying below 20 degrees N. Latitude building into hurricane or Tropical storms about 1/2 way to Hawaii then slowly disipipate till they pass south of the Islands as a mild low. This year, the lows seem to be getting closer to the Islands before they dissipate and heading a bit further north. Guillermo is staying much further north at 22 degrees plus currently and predicted to head even further north. Fortunately it's starting to ramp down so won't be a serious storm, if you call 39mph winds not serious, by the time it crosses the typical sailing route early Wednesday.

These storms will make for some unpleasant sailing if anyone is dumb enough to depart as the low is approaching. They would see strong northerly winds which won't won't allow them to sail in the direction they want to go in 10' plus confused seas and heavy rain. Not something that most people would elect to do. All you have to do is wait for the center of the low to pass then boogie north with southerly winds to speed you beyond the influence of the storms. It's the storms in the North Pacific that are typically the real dusters. It's at least a week and usually longer after your departure from Hawaii before you get into the North Pacific weather systems. That's too far away for a forecast to be much good at departure. Fortunately, the N Pacific lows are relatively rare and mild in the summer.

For those heading to Hawaii, you just have to keep your eye on these lows. If one is going to cause problems, just bore holes in the ocean well above 20 degrees north latitude till the storm passes.
Aloha
Peter Ogilvie
Pa'akai O'o, Pearson 35 #108
Too many Landrovers, some even run.

[highseas]

Thats the low I'm talking about,headed for B.C's north coast this weekend,right where the high usually sits at this time of summer.