By the 1820s, small schooners called coasters, owned and run by Hawaiians, had made their appearance in Hawaiian waters and would become the mainstay of interisland transportation well into the latter part of the 19th century. Coasters derived their moniker
By the 1820s, small schooners called coasters, owned and run by Hawaiians, had made their appearance in Hawaiian waters and would become the mainstay of interisland transportation well into the latter part of the 19th century.
Coasters derived their moniker from their practice of following the coastlines around the islands and stopping off at ports of call along the way.
One coaster, the Tahitian-built Pilot, of perhaps fifty tons register, sailed the Honolulu-Kaua‘i run for many years, Capt. Spunyarn, known also as Capt. Paniani commanding, assisted by his mate and cook.
A superb seaman, whose face at sea was the very picture of inner satisfaction, Spunyarn required no nautical instruments to chart his course. Instead, he relied on his knowledge of every wave by sight and all the variations of wind within the Kaua‘i Channel to navigate Pilot in fair weather or foul.
His many adventures aboard Pilot on the Honolulu-Kaua‘i run included surviving a squall that capsized Pilot, but luckily close enough to land to be towed ashore and righted. Another time, a whale rose alongside causing a surge that nearly swamped Pilot, but she survived that also.
Passenger fare between Honolulu and Koloa aboard Pilot about mid-century was $5. Accommodations consisted of deck space crowded with passengers and livestock. Straw mats provided cover from the elements and travelers brought their own food, usually calabashes of fish and poi.
The Kaua‘i passage could take a day, or several days, depending on the wind. When breezes calmed, Pilot would pitch, twist and rock. Seasickness was commonplace. Flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes and fleas compounded one’s misery.
In 1853, interisland travel improved with the arrival of the 106-foot long, 114-ton side-wheel steamer Akamai. Her first regular run was between Honolulu and Kaua‘i, with stops at Nawiliwili and Hanalei.
