Friday, May 27, 2011

Leeward Big Island

Nothing is as bad as when you are living in "that moment." For me, rounding South Point was an ordeal. More than 25 knots of wind behind us, 13 foot swell, and several squalls greeted us that night. There is definitely a reason why there are huge wind mills in the area. This reminded me of everything I disliked about the passage... 

But then, all at once, we round the end of the island and start to head northward. The wind dies abruptly, the sun comes out, and the ocean begins to resemble a placid lake. The residual exhaustion is still there, but at least the worst is over!

So then we were anchored in Honomalino Bay near the sleepy fishing village of Miloli'i. This was still a bit of an uncomfortable position, as there was a bit of a swell coming into the area. We put out our "flopper stoppers," which look like a series of orange parking cones placed vertically on a line, with a heavy weight at the bottom. These are strung overboard on each side of the boat, and helps resist the back-and-forth swaying when we're broadsided. We still had a rocky night, but at least we were out of the hell that was South Point!

By this time we had already called Honokohau harbor twice to see if there were any slips open. Both times, the answer was yes. So, we decided to hit Kealakekua Bay in the morning, on our way up to the tranquil harbor. In Kealakekua, you'll find the Captain Cook monument in the area where he was killed. The base of this monument is a coral reef, with some of the best snorkeling you can find in the entire island chain. I was excited to finally experience the warm water with a pair of fins and my mask!

After anchoring in the area, we were greeted by a pair of sea turtles. They must of admired how well Jon set the hook. We then hopped in the dinghy and motored over to the monument. If you ever visit the big island, you NEED to come here. Check out the latest photos to see how crystal clear the water is, and the plethora of sea life teeming in the reef. My favorite was a neon-blue accented trevally, and a parrot fish with the most brilliant greens, blues and purples I have ever seen on an animal.

We decided it was time to move on, to get one of those slips in Honokohau. We finally motored up to the harbor, and started to fuel up at the dock. But, when calling the harbor master, we were told there were no more slips available. A little annoyed and sleep deprived, we'd have to backtrack to Kailua Bay, which is infamous for being rolly, rocky, and noisy as it's in downtown Kona. 

Reluctantly, we headed back and set the anchor. We attempted the flopper stoppers, but they did little to help. An uncomfortable night was laid out for us.

In the morning, we made a big breakfast to try and compensate for lack of sleep. A phone call to Honokohau miraculously revealed that a slip or two was now open. I felt relieved and a bit angry, because I knew that they were probably available last night, but the dudes in the office probably didn't feel like dealing with us...but we were on our way.

The harbor master said to call him when we arrived. We did. Nobody picked up. We tried again. No luck. Ugh. I enjoy the laid-back Hawaiian style as much as the next person, but this was just ridiculous. Finally, we had contact, and were directed to an open slip.

This harbor has the most crystal clear water. We've seen four sea turtles, tons of tropical fish, two bat rays and have heard about the infamous 15 foot tiger shark that hangs out to munch on fisherman's scraps...and two unfortunate surfers during the last week. That somehow deters me from wanting to snorkel the pretty little beach at the harbor entrance.

We're going to hang out for at least a week, until the Alenuihaha channel calms down so we can cross over to Molokini, Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Everybody here is so damn friendly with rides, hitchhiking, and bar tabs, that we may not ever leave. 

 

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