That’s what folks call the Hawaii Yacht Club - you (think) you can check out but you can never leave. The place really sucks you in - great location, fun people, great bar and restaurant, and walking distance to the Harbor Pub where one can eat a respectable breakfast or pizza for a decent price. The boardwalk to Waikiki Beach is a great people watching and exercise opportunity, and the very interesting Fort Derussy Army museum is along the way. Between the Ala Moana shopping mall and the identical shops less than two miles away at Waikiki, one can part with all their bread buying high end handbags, Teslas or fancy watches. Shopper’s heaven, but for us just jaw dropping “stuff”.
Our Canadian pals on SV Maple had been sailing from Tahiti to Dutch Harbor, Alaska but having had electrical and steering system failures decided to divert to Oahu just a few days before we had intended to depart. We elected to remain in place and do our best to assist in getting them sorted out with US Customs and Border Protection as well as try and find them a slip. Poor buggers were beating into rough seas and winds, but they finally motored in about 4 days before we departed. They had managed to get a slip at Waikiki Yacht club just across the way, and we dinghy’d across the harbor to bring them a cold beer and welcome them to the USA. Over the next few days we enjoyed dinner with them at the Waikiki Yacht club - killer fish ’n chips - and had them over to spectate the Friday afternoon beer can races. We even took Janet to Costco for a big provisioning run while Darryl and the girls worked on the boat. We had hung out with them off and on for 2 years in French Polynesia - really fun and interesting folks.
Finally on Saturday the 19th we were ready to bolt from the stable. Ronnie woke up early to help out by moving his boat, and soon we were on our way out of the harbor. At 0630 the surf break was hopping with surfers looking to catch a good wave on the East side of the channel, and as we eased on out into the bay and turned to the East, we found decent sailing conditions for the trip to the Eastern headland then up to the North to Kane’ohe Bay. We did have to beat for several hours but the seas were OK and the wind was only in the low teens so it made for a great sailing day. We arrived at the Sampan Channel by early afternoon and made our way over the bar and into the bay, turning to port and maneuvering around to the West side of Coconut Island. The opening shots for Gilligan’s Island were shot there back in the 60’s but it appears some development “might” have taken place since then. We anchored in 40’ of water in a clay/mud bottom with good holding and celebrated our escape from the marina with a hammock ride.
The past 2 nights have been blissful and quiet; after the herky jerky motion of 3 boats snatching each other around with tide and swell conditions sleeping in a flat bay with good wind protection and absolutely no noise was a wonderful experience. We launched the dingy on Saturday and toured the shoreline, poking our nose into every marina and yacht club we found, then finally tooling up to the sand bar where folks anchor for the day and party it up. It’s a remarkable spot, and so today we upped anchor at Coconut Island and motored up there to drop the hook in 6’ of water and try not to accidentally run aground in a wind shift. It was fun to be standing in waist deep water just a few feet from JollyDogs, and even more fun when large sea turtles wandered by. I was in snorkeling and checking the props when a big one swam slowly by, shell spotted with multiple barnacles. Amazing sight to behold, and he or she allowed me to get within a couple of meters before buggering off.
The water was a little chilly for our bones, so we actually did a little sun bathing on the trampolines to warm our bods and make a little vitamin D. Not a bad way to spend a morning.
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