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Canoes at Maunalua Bay were vandalized for the third time this week before sunrise Thursday, when culprits cut lashings to 16 canoes that had been lined up at the water’s edge at the Diamond Head side of the bay.
The vandalism occurred sometime between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday, the latest act of vandalism in four days.
It’s devastating, said Makana Darval-Chang, 22, who has been a member of the Hui Nalu Canoe Club since he was 10.
Darval-Chang, whose mother, Denise Darval-Chang, serves as head coach of Hui Nalu, said he received a text about the vandalism from a member Thursday morning.
He questioned why someone would vandalize the canoes. “What’s the purpose?”
The lashings were first slashed sometime Sunday night, when 16 of the club’s canoes were hit. Then on Tuesday the lashings were cut on eight canoes.
Lashings are used to affix the iako (crossbeam) to the ama (float) and hull.
Toma Turner, equipment manager for Hui Nalu, said the repeated vandalism has cost the club more than $800 so far to re-lash the canoes, as each large spool of new rigging rope cost about $120.
Turner was among a group of 10 to 15 members who spent approximately five hours Monday and Wednesday re-lashing
affected canoes.
Some took time off from their jobs to ensure that members, especially youth, had canoes to use for practice. The kids look forward to canoe paddling in the afternoons after spending most of their day in school, Turner said.
Hui Nalu members first noticed there was a problem Monday when a crew took one of the canoes out on the water but had to return to shore, where crew members discovered more damaged canoes.
“It’s a criminal act,” Denise Darval-Chang said.
Lashings on canoes stored inside the canoe hale at Maunalua Bay remained intact.
Hui Nalu has more than 450 members who range in age from 10 to 77.
Though the repeated vandalism has been frustrating, Turner said Hui Nalu has been heartened by support from the community.
“Someone contacted us via Facebook and donated a spool and just brought it down,” he said. “It’s nice to see, you know, people reaching out in the community helping out.”
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