Early yesterday afternoon, an unmanned 30-foot sailboat drifted onto the beach in Hanalei and remained stuck for several hours. Lifeguards stationed at the Hanalei tower informed firefighters and rescue specialists from Li‘hue that the “Felicia” was adrift around 1 p.m.
Early yesterday afternoon, an unmanned 30-foot sailboat drifted onto the beach in Hanalei and remained stuck for several hours.
Lifeguards stationed at the Hanalei tower informed firefighters and rescue specialists from Li‘hue that the “Felicia” was adrift around 1 p.m.
Once county officials arrived on the scene, they discovered the boat was stuck in the sand about 300 to 400 yards to the left of Hanalei pier, a press release states.
According to Tin Tin Puulei of Ha‘ena, who witnessed the scene from the shore, the sailboat was anchored by the bow.
“There was no wind this morning,” Puulei said. “But then the northwest winds started blowing and changed the angle of the boat.”
Puulei added that because the boat wasn’t anchored the right way, the winds turned it around and made it tip when it started grounding.
Officials attempted to move the boat with a Zodiac, but the boat wouldn’t budge.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Office, about 15 gallons of fuel was aboard the boat, but nothing was leaking.
Officials from the Department of Transportation Harbors Division were making efforts to move the boat from the shore.
A late day gathering of Good Samaritans worked together as a team to free the boat, said D.S. Moss.
“The boat was freed around
7 p.m. with no fuel leaks and minimal damage to it,” Moss said.
The Felicia may have suffered a cracked keel as a result of the grounding, it was reported.
