maui yacht salvage

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UPDATE: Salvage ship will attempt again to free grounded luxury yacht from Maui coastline

Grounding of luxury yacht in marine conservation area leads to fine — and possible settlement

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A surprise settlement has been proposed in the grounding of a luxury yacht that damaged a precious reef on Maui , but the community and state officials agree it’s not enough to heal the environmental and cultural harm.

The grounding of the 75-foot Nakoa outraged the community.

The Nakoa was being operated as a charter vessel by Noelani Charters, which was owned by Jim Jones. He had an agreement with the owners of the vessel, the Kevin and Kimberly Albert Revocable Trust, to make payments toward a final purchase.

The trust has sued Jones and the company saying terms of the contract, including safety and commercial use restrictions, were being violated.

During an unofficial family voyage in February, the yacht broke from its anchor and was driven into the reef at Honolua Bay. It had been illegally moored overnight near the conservation area.

• DLNR: Grounded luxury yacht caused significant damage to more than 100 coral colonies
• Suit alleges ‘gross negligence’ in Maui yacht grounding that damaged reef
• DLNR: Grounded yacht scuttled at sea after being ‘successfully’ freed at Honolua Bay

It subsequently sunk despite efforts at salvage.

Staff with the Department of Land and Natural Resources recommended fines for reef and coral damage and administrative costs at $117, 471.

But in testimony at a Land Board meeting Friday, community members demanded more.

Leonard Nakoa said he and other neighbors of the bay access it multiple times per week, and resent commercialism of the bay.

“We got to deal with, I gotta say, these dummies that come over there and disrespect our cultural rights and our resources,” Nakoa said.

Paele Kiakona, with the Save Honolua Coalition, said he assisted when the vessel grounded.

“It hits us in our heart when something like this happens,” he said. “So I think we should reconsider and actually pursue the maximum fines.”

At the outset of Friday’s meeting, staff announced that the owners — the Albert Family revocable trust had offered to pay the fine — to end any threat of action against them.

Trust attorney Randall Schmidt told the board: “May I express our appreciation for this opportunity to work with you to get this resolved so as much as can be made whole is made whole.”

Board Chair Dawn Chang wanted to make sure the owner didn’t go after the salvage company that was unable to save the Nakoa.

“If they are going to be subject to additional lawsuits we will never get a salvage company to work with the State of Hawaii to remove any vessel,” Chang said.

Schmidt said he needed to see the contract between the state and salvage company, and speak to his client, before absolving any contractors.

The Land Board unanimously approved the settlement, but members made it clear they still want to find a way to go after Jim Jones and Noelani charter for damage beyond coral and rock.

Board member Wesley “Kaiwi” Yoon pledged “It’s not over,” but also said it’s not clear how to quantify damage to access or cultural practices.

“I personally struggle with the fact that there is no abacus or calculator to even begin to quantify how much adverse effect to cultural resources might cost,” Yoon said.

Chang said one response would be to bar Jones from operating another charter company.

“He should not be permitted to operate any commercial activity on our ocean waters,” Chang said. “He’s not demonstrated that kind of trust.”

It’s unclear if Jones has access to assets that could pay additional fines. So far, he has not responded to the lawsuit by the owners.

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Salvage of grounded luxury yacht from Honolua set to resume this weekend

Salvage efforts will resume sometime this weekend as crews attempt to free the grounded yacht  Nakoa  from the near-shore reef on the edge of Honolua Bay. 

State officials with the Department of Land and Natural Resources say weather and ocean conditions have improved, allowing for the salvage effort to continue.

“We continue to face a challenging set of circumstances with this salvage operation, and we have found it difficult to find qualified industry partners willing to do this work,” said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang in a news release. “We truly appreciate the efforts of Visionary Marine LLC and Sause Brothers Inc., both out of Honolulu, for their willingness to help us with this very complicated job.” 

The vessel has been hard-aground in very shallow water just outside the Honolua- Mokulē‘ia Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) in west Maui, since Monday, Feb. 20. The 94-foot, 120-ton yacht grounded after apparently slipping loose from a mooring in the bay. 

Two earlier salvage attempts were not successful, when rigging attached to the  Nakoa  did not prove strong enough and failed. 

The salvage ship  Kahi  and the tractor tug  Mary Catherine  plan to return to Maui sometime this weekend with stronger rigging, in the hope that the yacht can finally be freed. The vessels have not been able to make a third attempt due to strong winds this week. The salvage team needs sea and weather conditions to improve significantly before they can safely attempt another one. 

“We appreciate the patience and understanding of all the people who cherish the waters and environment of Honolua and Mokulē‘ia Bays,” said Chang. “We want everyone to know that we and our partners are working as efficiently, as quickly, and most importantly as safely as possible to resolve this situation with the least amount of additional damage to the marine environment.  We hope to have good news to report later in the weekend.” 

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Maui businessman, captain sued for $2M after grounding luxury yacht

A business owner whose luxury yacht ran aground and leaked diesel fuel into waters off Maui last month is being sued for more than $2 million in damages by a trust that sold him the vessel.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Honolulu on Monday seeks at least $1.45 million for the loss of the yacht, which was supposed to be paid off over the course of 15 years. It also seeks at least $500,000 for salvage work and at least $500,000 for environmental damages.

Kevin and Kimberly Albert, trustees of the Albert Revocable Trust in New Mexico, filed the lawsuit against Jim Jones, his company Noelani Yacht Charters, and ship captain Kimberley Kalalani Higa.

The lawsuit says the only approved captain on the insurance policy was Joe Bardouche. Both have a 100 T U.S. Coast Guard license.

The lawsuit says Jones and his company used the vessel “in a grossly negligent manner” for a personal trip without seeking the approval of the trust.

The 94-foot yacht Nakoa ran aground in Honolua Bay on Feb. 20 after its mooring line snapped. Private contractors towed the ship out to sea, where it sank in about 800 feet (244 meters) of water on March 5.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to bill Jones for the $460,000 cost of salvaging the boat. It's also considering fines after the episode damaged coral reef.

The lawsuit says Jones notified the trust after the grounding that he had taken the yacht out for personal use.

It says Jones and Noelani Yacht Charters breached a purchase agreement holding the buyer responsible for any risk of loss or damage. The agreement also outlined operations, crew requirements and restricted uses.

A phone message left for Jones at Noelani Yacht Charters was not immediately returned. The company's website says it's no longer in business.

The company told The Maui News in February that “this was a family retreat with an unfortunate ending.”

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Salvage of grounded luxury yacht continues Monday

KAPALUA, Maui — Salvage work of a luxury yacht that ran aground in Honolua Bay in northwest Maui will resume on Monday after more than a dozen "pulls" were attempted on Sunday, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

After dark, the final pull managed to move the vessel, which has been grounded since Feb. 20, about 10 to 20 feet.

"It's estimated another 20-30 feet of movement seaward will be needed before the yacht is clear of the rocky coastline," the DLNR said.

On Saturday, officials defueled the vessel, which has been grounded outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District.

What You Need To Know

The nakoa, a 94-foot yacht owned by noelani yacht charters, ran aground in honolua bay on monday, feb. 20 during an attempt to remove the vessel from the reef tuesday morning, some fuel leaked into the bay officials have defueled the luxury yacht and began salvage operations on sunday, which will resume on monday initial assessments of the reef found that there was some damage to corals; the owners may face "significant penalties".

The dirt road at Lipoa Point will remain closed until salvage operations have concluded.

The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the salvage operation to try to remove some 470 gallons of petroleum products, including diesel fuel, and other hazardous substances off the yacht.

“For the last five days we’ve been working with the contractors from Sea Engineering and Pacific Helicopters, starting with getting on the vessel and putting absorbent materials down to collect any free petroleum products," said Chief David Jones, of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. "Then for the last three days we’ve had the flight operations. Folks on deck pumped any fuel, oils, and other materials out of tanks and machinery spaces into the barrels, where they were airlifted to land to be hauled off for proper disposal.” 

The yacht's owner Jim Jones  told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser  last week that seawater entered the engine room of the 94-foot yacht, which made the ship's bilges pump out diesel fuel. He said “not a lot” got in the water and the pumps have been turned off.

“Once we found out the fuel was coming out, we turned it over to the Coast Guard,” Jones said.

The Coast Guard brought in the salvage company Sea Engineering to remove the fuel and vessel, the company's president, Andrew Rocheleau, said.

Once all fuel and pollutants are removed, the Nakoa will be released to its owner. Then, the owner must provide an acceptable salvage plan to the DLNR. If the agency doesn’t find the plan satisfactory, the state will remove the yacht and the owner will be responsible for the cost of the salvage operation. 

The yacht  ran aground Monday morning  in Honolua Bay after its mooring line snapped.

The vessel is stuck on the rocks near where surfers paddle out to surf. It's about 700 feet outside the state's Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.

According to the DLNR release, a team from its Division of Aquatic Resources conducted an underwater assessment of the area’s coral reefs and live rocks. “Divers noted an estimated 30 coral and live rock that were damaged, but will need to return to do a more thorough assessment once the vessel is removed.” It said that the owner may face “significant penalties” as corals and live rock are protected by state law. 

Other fines may be levied via DLNR’s Boating and Ocean Division and DOCARE once the investigations are completed. 

“We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors like,” said DLNR First Deputy Laura Kaakua. “Wednesday, the focus will be defueling the vessel, and then we can turn to efficient removal with the least additional damage possible.”

The Nakoa is one of two luxury yachts owned by Noelani Yacht Charters. It has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and a full kitchen. Charter packages start at $9,801, according to the company’s website.

—The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Failed rigging foils attempts to free grounded yacht

The salvage vessel Kahi is seen offshore on Monday. The ship made multiple attempts to free a grounded yacht at Honolua Bay on Sunday before the rigging lines broke. Photo courtesy DLNR

The Maui News

Wednesday is the earliest salvage operations can resume after rigging attached to a grounded yacht at Honolua Bay failed on Monday evening, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

The salvage ship Kahi, operated by Visionary Marine LLC of Honolulu, made more than a dozen attempts to free the yacht on Sunday, managing to move it about 10 to 20 feet farther from the shore before rigging lines broke during the final pull.

Crew members re-rigged the yacht with stronger lines on Monday, and a tractor tug, the Mary Catherine operated by Sause Bros. Inc., left Honolulu Harbor on Monday morning to join the Kahi. The tractor tug began trying to free the yacht on Monday evening before the rigging failed.

The contractor is heading back to Oahu to resupply with stronger rigging, DLNR said.

The yacht, Nakoa, has been stuck along the shoreline for about a week after the line broke from its mooring in Honolua Bay, the boat’s operator, Noelani Yacht Charters, said last week.

Officials have spent the last few days removing fuel, batteries and other potentially hazardous materials before attempting to free the yacht.

DLNR said the yacht’s owner has declined to pay the $460,000 for the retrieval of the boat and will be billed by the state. The owner may also face fines for any violations of boating laws and any potential damage to reef and live rock.

All investigations are underway, and DLNR said it is unable to comment further on pending charges or penalties.

The dirt road leading to Lipoa Point will remain closed until the salvage operation is finished.

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53 dead, towns ‘burned to ashes' as wildfires rage on Hawaii's Maui island

The fire took the island of maui by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood, by audrey mcavoy, jennifer sinco kelleher and nick perry • published august 10, 2023 • updated on august 10, 2023 at 9:24 am.

Thousands of Hawaii residents raced to escape homes on Maui as blazes swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town and killing at least 53 people in one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in recent years.

The fire took the island by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood in  Lahaina Town , which dates to the 1700s and has long been a favorite destination for tourists. Crews battled blazes in several places on the island Wednesday, and the flames forced some adults and children to flee into the ocean.

At least 53 people have died, according to a statement from Maui County on Thursday that said no other details were available. Officials said earlier that 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people injured. The 2018 Camp Fire in California killed at least 85 people, destroyed nearly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings, and virtually razed the town of Paradise.

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Lahaina residents Kamuela Kawaakoa and Iiulia Yasso described a harrowing escape under smoke-filled skies Tuesday afternoon. The couple and their 6-year-old son got back to their apartment after a quick dash to the supermarket for water, and only had time to grab a change of clothes and run as the bushes around them caught fire.

“We barely made it out,” Kawaakoa said at an evacuation shelter on Wednesday, still unsure if anything was left of their apartment.

As the family fled, a senior center across the road erupted in flames. They called 911, but didn't know if the people got out. Fire alarms blared. As they drove away, downed utility poles and fleeing cars slowed their progress.

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Kawaakoa, 34, grew up in the apartment building, called Lahaina Surf, where his dad and grandmother also lived. Lahaina Town dates back to the 1700s and has long been a favorite destination for tourists.

“It was so hard to sit there and just watch my town burn to ashes and not be able to do anything," Kawaakoa said. “I was helpless.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said the island had “been tested like never before in our lifetime."

"We are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time,” he  said in a recorded statement . “In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a ‘kaiaulu,’ or community, as we rebuild with resilience and aloha.”

As the fires rages, tourists were advised to stay away. About 11,000 visitors flew out of Maui on Wednesday, with at least another 1,500 expected to leave Thursday, according to Ed Sniffen, state transportation director. Officials prepared the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu to take in the thousands who have been displaced.

The Hawaiian fires were whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing far to the south. It's the latest in a series of disasters caused by extreme weather around the globe this summer. Experts say climate change is increasing the likelihood of such events.

As winds eased somewhat on Maui, some flights resumed Wednesday, allowing pilots to view the full scope of the devastation. Aerial video from Lahaina showed dozens of homes and businesses razed, including on Front Street, where tourists once gathered to shop and dine. Smoking heaps of rubble lay piled high next to the waterfront, boats in the harbor were scorched, and gray smoke hovered over the leafless skeletons of charred trees.

“It’s horrifying. I’ve flown here 52 years and I’ve never seen anything come close to that,” said Richard Olsten, a helicopter pilot for a tour company. “We had tears in our eyes."

About 14,500 customers in Maui were without power early Wednesday. With cell service and phone lines down in some areas, many people were struggling to check in with friends and family members living near the wildfires. Some were posting messages on social media.

Tiare Lawrence was frantically trying to reach her siblings who live near where a gas station exploded in Lahaina.

“There’s no service, so we can’t get ahold of anyone,” she said from the Maui community of Pukalani.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara, from the Hawaii State Dept. of Defense, told reporters Wednesday night that officials were working to get communications restored, to distribute water, and possibly adding law enforcement personnel. He said National Guard helicopters had dropped 150,000 gallons of water on the Maui fires.

The Coast Guard said it rescued 14 people who jumped into the water to escape flames and smoke, including two children.

Among those injured were three people with critical burns who were flown to Oahu, officials said.

Bissen, the Maui County mayor, said at a Wednesday morning news conference that officials hadn't yet begun investigating the immediate cause of the fires, but officials did point to the combination of dry conditions, low humidity and high winds.

Mauro Farinelli, of Lahaina, said the winds had started blowing hard on Tuesday, and then somehow a fire had started up on a hillside.

“It just ripped through everything with amazing speed,” he said, adding it was “like a blowtorch.”

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The winds were so strong they blew his garage door off its hinges and trapped his car in the garage, Farinelli said. So a friend drove him, along with his wife Judit and dog Susi, to an evacuation shelter. He had no idea what had happened to their home.

“We’re hoping for the best,” he said, “but we’re pretty sure it’s gone.”

President Joe Biden said he'd ordered all available federal assets to help with the response. He said the Hawaii National Guard had mobilized Chinook helicopters to help with fire suppression as well as search and rescue efforts on Maui.

“Our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses and communities destroyed," Biden said in a statement.

Former President Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii, said on social media that it’s tough to see some of the images coming out of a place that is so special to many.

Alan Dickar, who owns a poster gallery and three houses in Lahaina, said most tourists who come to Maui visit Front Street.

“The central two blocks is the economic heart of this island, and I don’t know what’s left," he said.

Dickar took video of flames engulfing the main strip before escaping with three friends and two cats.

“Every significant thing I owned burned down today,” he said. “I’ll be OK. I got out safely.”

Sinco Kelleher reported from Honolulu and Perry from Wellington, New Zealand. Associated Press writers Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Beatrice Dupuy in New York contributed to this report.

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Yacht Fuel Spill In Maui’s Honolua Bay Prompts Calls For Reform

The grounding of the 94-foot luxury vessel has sparked calls to change the way commercial activity is handled in sensitive coastal waters.

It was about 6:30 in the morning when Paele Kiakona got the call from his father: A yacht was in trouble at Honolua Bay. 

The two fishermen decided to load up their Jet Skis, call friends with boats and head over to try to free the vessel. But by the time they got there later that morning, the tide was receding.

The 94-foot yacht was stuck on the reef, and no matter how hard they pulled, it wouldn’t budge. The men came back later to offer to help remove fuel from the boat, but were told to get out of the water and let the government handle it.

In the days since the Feb. 20 grounding, Kiakona’s worst fear came true : The yacht leaked diesel into the water flowing to one of Maui’s most beloved marine sanctuaries, making national headlines.

And because the owner of the 120-ton yacht, Jim Jones, said he wouldn’t pay it, the state has put up $460,000 to salvage the vessel, which drifted from an area where it should never have been moored overnight in the first place. 

“Everybody was mad, and all fingers were pointed at the captain and the owner of the boat,” said Kiakona. “But you know, if they were policed to begin with, this multi-million dollar mistake could have been avoided.”

The 120-ton boat is still stuck there. After crews spent hours Sunday trying to free the yacht, a tractor tug boat from Sause Brothers on Oahu joined the effort on Monday evening, turning it about 90 degrees.

But after an evening in the water with limited success, the contractor decided to head back to Oahu to resupply with a stronger rigging, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. In a news release just after 9 p.m. Monday, the agency said the effort, which also involves a salvage ship operated by Visionary Marine, would resume again on Wednesday at the earliest.

“That’s another big issue, is that when these things happen, especially with a vessel this large, we don’t have the resources here,” DLNR Deputy Director Laura Kaakua said during a weekend briefing on Maui.

As the attempts to remove the yacht continue, many of Maui’s elected officials and residents are now calling for widespread reforms in the way the government prevents and responds to shipwrecks in Hawaii’s coastal waters.

Some Maui residents are also asking whether boats — especially those making money off of tourists — even belong in marine conservation areas like Honolua Bay , which are set up to protect delicate ocean ecosystems from harm.

The way Kiakona sees it, the unchecked commercial activity threatens not only the health of the land and the ocean, but also Native Hawaiians like himself who rely on the natural environment.

“We just need a major shift in the status quo to not only protect (Honolua Bay), but to protect the people who are of this land,” Kiakona said.

Jones told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he was on a family outing and spent the night attached to a day-use mooring at Honolua Bay. He said he didn’t know that it was only allowed to be used for two hours at a time. But his line snapped early on the morning of Feb. 20, and before anyone noticed, the yacht drifted onto the reef.

The yacht is one of two that Jones has through his company, Noelani Yacht Charters, which sells tours from Maui starting around $9,800, according to its website . The company advertises tours to Honolua Bay.

In recent years, Jones has run into legal trouble and was sued twice for failing to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans he took out to buy a yacht, according to court records. Before that, he was sued by the state for working as an unlicensed contractor. Noelani Yacht Charters did not respond to a call requesting comment. 

DLNR is still investigating the incident and says it plans to send the bill to the yacht owner, who may face other fines for breaking boating laws and damaging the reef. The agency declined to comment on the pending investigation and wouldn’t say whether Jones had a valid insurance policy for the boat or if there was a licensed captain on board. It’s also unknown if the boat had proper equipment.

At first, Maui County on Feb. 20 tried to expedite any permits that might be needed to free the boat, but it isn’t in the county’s purview to excavate shipwrecks. In general, boat owners are responsible for recovering wrecked vessels, and DLNR can step in to remove them on the owner's dime.

But if government officials learn there might be hazardous materials threatening marine life -- like the Nakoa leaking diesel into Honolua Bay -- the U.S. Coast Guard steps in and takes over, using federal dollars to remove all harmful substances and objects like batteries and fuel.

Since 2019, there were 651 fuel spills in Hawaii marine waters that were reported to the state, according to the Department of Health. During that time period, the U.S. Coast Guard said it took control of the clean-up in three different instances, the most recent being Honolua Bay.

But it wasn’t until the fourth day after the vessel ran aground and the third day after the boat started leaking fuel that the Coast Guard’s hired contractor was able to start draining the diesel and hauling away batteries. Although some of that equipment is housed on Maui, much of it is stored on Oahu, so it took some time to ship it in.

There was a similar delay in starting the effort to then pull the boat off the reef after the hazardous materials were removed. That contractor had to travel from Oahu too.

“We don't have the resources for containment of spills, and those are issues that seriously need to be worked on sooner rather than later,” said West Maui Council member Tamara Paltin. “With climate change, weather events are getting more extreme, and we don't even have the capacity now.”

Before Paltin was a council member, she worked as a lifeguard. She and her colleagues would receive calls about shipwrecks -- including ones that were long abandoned in Maui’s coastal waters.

She recalled the sailboat that got stuck after it drifted onto the reef in front of Lahaina’s famous Front Street on Halloween night -- where it remained for eight years . Paltin said tourists would call emergency responders, thinking that the snorkelers around the boat were shipwreck victims.

In recent years, Maui has experienced more frequent Kona storms that sent boats aground in shallow waters. In Kihei, for example, a December 2021 Kona low pushed a sailboat all the way onto a popular beach, where it sat for five months until it was removed . In one recent storm alone, Paltin said, almost a half-dozen boats wrecked in West Maui after their mooring lines snapped. But there was never the same sense of urgency as now.

“Shipwrecking is a common thing in West Maui, and they're used to not getting responses -- especially after Kona storms,” Paltin said. “(Honolua Bay) is like the crown jewel of Maui, so obviously, it was a big, big deal.” 

In Paltin’s view, the best path forward involves working with communities to bring more oversight to Maui’s coastal waters.

More than a decade ago, there was a program that helped train citizens to watch over places like Honolua Bay in partnership with DLNR, but that fell by the wayside.

“If you're not going to have the capacity (to deal with boats) when they wreck, then where's the preventative?” Paltin said.

But paying for people to patrol the islands costs money, and DLNR receives 1% or less of the state’s operating budget. The department has also struggled for years to recruit officers to uphold conservation laws, though that aspect is improving.

In a statement, DLNR spokesperson Dan Dennison said the department will welcome 42 recruits who graduate from the training academy next month. Once they complete training, that will bring a "significantly increased conservation officer presence across the state," he said.

“We would love to have enough officers to patrol everywhere, but with 700 miles of shoreline in the state and millions of acres of land under DLNR jurisdiction, that of course is an impossibility,” Dennison said in an email. 

State Rep. Elle Cochran, whose district includes West Maui, has long fought to protect Honolua Bay. She said she understands that DLNR is stretched thin and that officials did everything they could to work quickly to remove the Nakoa and the threat it posed to the ocean. As soon as the boat ran aground, DLNR began working to hire contractors on an emergency basis to salvage the boat. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard hired a company that used a helicopter to fly 55-gallon drums of fuel from the boat’s stern to the point above the bay.

But Cochran said she also understands that many Maui residents felt like the response didn’t happen fast enough. She said she’s going to look into what it might take to purchase a towing vessel or have one on retainer so there aren’t delays in trying to find a contractor equipped to deal with grounded boats on Maui. 

"Every minute a boat is grounded, it's devastating to the ocean and environment," said Cochran. "We need to take care of it; time is of the essence."

Tiare Lawrence, who's long advocated for changes to marine management in Lahaina, said the government needs to overhaul the way it responds to grounded vessels. After almost every storm, she sees boats run aground, and each time, there isn't a clear process to handle them. In some cases, they stay there for months or years, even when residents complain to state officials.

The situation in Honolua also made it clear that waiting until after a boat has leaked fuel to get the Coast Guard involved isn't enough to protect Maui's coastal waters.

"The fuel and any other substances should automatically be removed -- that's the first thing," Lawrence said. "If a hull of a boat breaks, obviously you're opening up a can of worms."

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.

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Saturday, September 7, 2024 82° Today's Paper

Salvage ship attempts to free grounded luxury yacht off Maui

The salvage ship Kahi attempted to free the 94-foot luxury yacht Nakoa that ran aground on the reef at Honolua Bay off Maui.

By Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Feb. 27, 2023

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Looking Back

Aug. 28, 2006: William F. Quinn, the state of Hawaii's first governor, dies at age 87