KAPALUA, Maui — According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, new rigging has been secured to the luxury yacht, Nakoa, and the salvage ship, Kahi, operated by Visionary Marine LLC, and a tractor tug, the Mary Catherine operated by Sause Brothers Inc., both from Honolulu, are ready to try again Sunday afternoon to pull the luxury yacht off near-shore rocks in Honolua Bay.

A rigging crew from the Kahi worked all Saturday and Sunday morning to secure rigging in hopes of freeing the vessel, which has been stuck for nearly two weeks.

“We continue to appreciate the patience and understanding of everyone who loves Honolua, as well as the hard work being conducted by the salvage crews,” said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang.

Salvage work of a luxury yacht that ran aground in Honolua Bay in northwest Maui is set to resume this weekend, weather and ocean conditions permitting, the Department of Land and Natural Resources announced in a release Friday.

What You Need To Know

  • The Nakoa, a 94-foot yacht owned by Noelani Yacht Charters, ran aground in Honolua Bay on Feb. 20

  • During an initial attempt to remove the vessel from the reef, some fuel leaked into the bay

  • Two earlier salvage attempts were unsuccessful when rigging attached to the Nakoa failed; strong winds this week prevented a third attempt

  • Salvage ship Kahi and tractor tug Mary Catherine are scheduled to return this weekend with stronger rigging

The 94-foot, 120-ton yacht, Nakoa, ran aground in shallow waters just outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District on Feb. 20. 

During an initial attempt to remove the 120-ton yacht from the reef, some fuel leaked into the bay. The U.S. Coast Guard then took over the salvage operation to remove the fuel and all other pollutants.

“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. “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.”

Two earlier salvage attempts were unsuccessful when rigging attached to the Nakoa failed. Strong winds this week prevented a third attempt. 

Salvage ship Kahi and tractor tug Mary Catherine are scheduled to return this weekend with more substantial rigging. 

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. 

“We appreciate the patience and understanding of all the people who cherish the waters and environment of Honolua and Mokuleia Bays,” Chang continued. “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.”

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.

According to a 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 might 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. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: The original article has been updated with information on a third attempt on Sunday to free the Nakoa. (March 5, 2023)