Question: Is anything being done about the sailboat that was blown onto the reef at Maunalua Bay? It’s been there since early January and appears that nothing is being done to remove it. This seems to be a recurring problem every year when we have Kona storms. Are boat owners held responsible for any damage to the reef?
Answer: We’re told the boat owner is liable for all removal costs.
The average cost of removal is around $30,000.
However, because his insurance did not cover groundings, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation hired Parker Marine several weeks ago to remove the vessel, said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.
"When (they were) first notified of the grounding, per standard procedure, boating district managers notified the responsible owner that he had 72 hours to remove the vessel, or the division would take control of the boat and remove it," she said.
The owner’s insurance company, based in Wisconsin, claimed his policy covered oil spills only, not groundings, she said. "Since the owner was not able to otherwise remove it, (the boating division) stepped in to take control."
In this case, Ward said removal is made much more difficult because the 40-foot vessel is made of ferro cement and "very heavy." Its size, construction and weight, compared with the usual wooden or fiberglass boat, have slowed removal.
Attempts to pull it into deeper water were unsuccessful.
"In addition, it may be sitting on coral, so care must be taken to avoid further damage," Ward said.
She said the contractor has been "steadily working on the vessel daily," as weather permits, and the hull is now gutted.
At last report, Parker Marine was awaiting a special saw to arrive from the mainland so the boat can be cut and removed piece by piece.
"The vessel does not pose a hazard to the environment," Ward said.
What about possible damage to the coral?
DLNR’s Division of Aquatics Resources is responsible for coral assessments. Because the vessel still needs to be removed, officials there do "not have a coral assessment at this time."
Auwe and Mahalo
Auwe to two impatient drivers who could have caused an accident at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the intersection of the Pali and Kamehameha highways. A police officer was trying to help a motorist whose truck had stalled. All lanes of traffic stopped to allow them to get the truck off the road. It took a while and it was a dangerous situation, because they needed space to maneuver the truck. The two drivers cut through on the shoulder, Kailua-bound, coming close to hitting the officer and the group of good Samaritans who had gotten out of their cars to help push the truck through the intersection. Would it have hurt to wait one minute more? Mahalo to the group of young men who pulled aside to assist. — Liz
Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
