AHUKINI — Someone made off with the motor, overnight, Thursday. That left the owner of a 31-foot sailboat literally without the means of getting the boat off the rocks and around the bend at the south of the parking lot
AHUKINI — Someone made off with the motor, overnight, Thursday.
That left the owner of a 31-foot sailboat literally without the means of getting the boat off the rocks and around the bend at the south of the parking lot at Ahukini Landing.
One of the boat owner’s friends was helping salvage materials and equipment from the boat that ran aground after attempting to sail from Hanama‘ulu Beach to Nawiliwili Harbor late Thursday evening.
“I was waiting for him at Nawiliwili, and when he didn’t show up, I called in a missing person report,” the friend who had difficulty in communicating, said between salvaging items from the boat. “He was supposed to sail about 4 p.m. and arrive before 6:30 p.m.”
The owner did show up before police could respond to the missing person report, and when the individuals went to the grounded boat this morning, someone had already taken the motor.
Personnel at the United States Coast Guard Nawiliwili Port said they got the call from the Honolulu office around 6:40 this morning and responded, but the high surf generated from the brisk trades prevented them from getting close enough to the grounded vessel to even get a Hawai‘i identification number.
They were released from the case and it became a Kaua‘i police matter because the airport security, who initially discovered the grounded vessel, reported it to the police and USCG.
Deborah Ward of the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources said, “We are aware of the grounded vessel. It is a 31-foot, 5-inch auxiliary-powered sailing vessel, model type Irwin.”
Ward said the DLNR is in the process of trying to contact the owner.
“We sent enforcement officers to respond, but have not yet contacted the owner to find out if that person is willing to take responsibility for taking away the boat,” Ward said.
The boat appeared to have cleared the Ahukini jetty before the trades and wind-driven surf pushed the vessel back onto the rocks.
A big gash on its starboard, or right side, was opened up when it hit the rocks, and yesterday, the force of the waves had positioned the boat parallel to the coastline.
There was no evidence of any fuel in the water, although pieces of personal belongings and some bedding were beginning to spread out along the coastline.
The individual helping salvage materials from the stricken vessel said he was going to concentrate on trying to salvage the tools and equipment after already losing the motor, overnight.
“That was the boat,” he said.
