First fuel, then yacht to be removed from Honolua Bay reef | News, Sports, Jobs

Department of Land and Natural Resources conservation officers survey the site on Tuesday where a 94-foot yacht “Nakoa” ran aground on the reef at Honolua Bay the previous day. DLNR said Tuesday evening that it would likely be “another few days” before the boat could be freed, as all fuel, batteries and other pollutants on board must first be removed. Photos courtesy DLNR

State officials said it would likely be “another few days” before a 94-foot-long luxury yacht could be removed from the rocks and reef at Honolua Bay, where the vessel ran aground over the holiday weekend and sparked worries over fuel spilling into the marine sanctuary.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said Tuesday that the boat’s owner could also face “significant penalties” based on early findings that about 30 coral and live rock had been damaged.

“We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors alike,” DLNR First Deputy Laura Kaakua said in a news release. “Wednesday, the focus will be defueling the vessel, and then we can turn to efficient removal with the least additional damage possible.”

The yacht “Nakoa” ran aground on the north side of the bay on Monday, and the eight boaters on board were rescued by the Maui Fire Department.

After efforts to remove the yacht during the Monday afternoon high tide failed, the U.S. Coast Guard “federalized” the boat on Tuesday, meaning it can’t be moved until all fuel, batteries and any other pollutants on board are taken off, DLNR said.

A wave pushes up against the 94-foot yacht “Nakoa” as it leans against the rocks and reef at Honolua Bay on Tuesday.

“That process may involve a helicopter and is expected to take at least through tomorrow,” the department said.

On Tuesday morning, “a sheen of diesel fuel was leaking from the boat’s hull and was visible in surrounding water,” DLNR reported. By Tuesday afternoon, a pair of DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement officers, who had been on the scene all day, reported that one of the owner’s friends managed to board the yacht and shut off the pumps.

“By late this afternoon, the sheen was not visible, but you could still smell fuel in the air. Booms will be placed around the fuel to keep any remaining diesel from moving out of the immediate area,” DLNR said.

Federal, state and county officials were monitoring the situation. Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin, who holds the West Maui residency seat, said her biggest concern is “definitely more fuel spilling into the bay.”

“The worst possible thing that could happen is it gets pushed into the reef and destroys the reef and breaks apart and spills all the fuel. I think that’s everybody’s worst fear for sure,” Paltin said Tuesday evening.

Paltin, who’s still president of the Save Honolua Coalition, said she visited the site on Monday afternoon and watched as a couple of small local boats tried to pull the vessel off the reef, but “it just wasn’t budging at all.” A couple of Jet Skis also came by, “but they’re no match” for the yacht, she said.

“Why is it taking so long?” Paltin asked. “As soon as it ran aground, they should’ve put a boom around it and pumped out the fuel, because Honolua is so precious to all of us.”

On Monday afternoon, acting Maui County Planning Director Kathleen Aoki authorized an emergency permit to a private excavation company to help dislodge the yacht.

The state, however, still needed to issue a permit of its own. DLNR said Tuesday that it did not plan to and that the owners of the yacht had hired a private contractor to salvage the vessel. The salvage plan, which requires DLNR approval, will likely entail a tugboat pulling the yacht out to sea and to a harbor where it can be repaired.

If the state doesn’t agree with the salvage plan, it will remove the vessel and the owner will have to cover the costs.

The Coast Guard said Tuesday that it was working with the owner and that a federal on-scene coordinator had opened the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which can provide up to $1 billion for any single oil pollution incident.

Honolulu-based Sea Engineering Inc. has been contracted to remove all potential pollution and mitigate hazards to the environment. Sorbent materials are being deployed to address pollution in the water, the Coast Guard said.

On Tuesday morning, a team of divers with the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources went to assess the reef below and noted damage to an estimated 30 coral and live rock, findings that could lead to penalties from the state. Divers will return for a more thorough assessment once the vessel is removed.

DLNR is also investigating what led to the Nakoa grounding, which could also result in citations and fines.

A representative from Noelani Yacht Charters told The Maui News that the Nakoa was on a mooring in Honolua Bay when the line was severed at around 5:45 a.m. Monday while they were in the middle of doing engine checks and preparation below deck to return to Lahaina Harbor.

By the time the checks were completed and they were back on the main deck and helm, the boat had been blown on the rocks on the north end of the bay, and “it was too late to fire up the engines.”

They tried pulling the vessel off the rocks as the tide was dropping and again during the high tide, but even then the tide was too low. A diver swam around the boat and noted no hull damage except for stabilizer fins that had been torn off.

“This was a family retreat with an unfortunate ending, but we do want to apologize to the local community for any inconvenience we may have caused,” the representative said.

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.

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