Kihei Canoe Club's Sunken Sailboat
Berney Coleman | Published on 11/9/2024
Over the years winter storms have caused various vessels to wash up on the beach or sink close to Kihei Canoe Club. These include a torpedo rescue boat, various sailboats, power boats, zodiac boats and, yes, even a KCC canoe (Hōkū Welo Welo) which has never been found.
One of these, a sailboat, rests on the bottom about 1/4 mile from the pier. Club member Adele Rugg spotted it from time to time during visitor paddle but its’ exact location remained elusive. One day a large turtle was spotted on the surface and my canoe with visitors just happened to be near. As we watched the turtle submerge and descend in the clear water, there was a sailboat which the turtle swam right into it through the cabin hatch!!!
To mark the spot, I quickly picked out some landmarks which, when aligned, could be used to triangulate the location. This allowed me to return to the spot and view the sailboat if water clarity was good.
On one of these visits, I free dove to the bottom to get the name, depth and approximate length of the sailboat. It is a sloop about 30 feet in length with mast and rigging removed. There is a door entering the cabin from the cockpit. It also has a deck hatch into the cabin which the turtle used to go inside. The stern was covered in barnacles precluding me from getting the name. Depth was 25ft.
Over the years steersmen and members have asked about how to find this sailboat. So, using my drone, I made a video showing how. You can view it at:
https://youtu.be/QXOk9qZyUHs
Hope this helps you find and enjoy viewing this sailboat. Happy hunting!!!