Nāpali Coast

Christy

We’ve been in Hanalei for almost two weeks, and have been spending some much needed time offline with our friends and each other, just enjoying life. We had a series of friends come to visit us consecutively, and the last few days have just been us, so it’s been a nice balance. We tracked this trip to the Nāpali Coast a few days ago, and it was incredible. The wind was on our stern, and as we turned around by Kalalau Valley, about 27 kts on our nose. Close to Hanalei we caught about a 10 lb omilu (bluefin trevally), and made fish tacos for dinner. This place is unreal. There are literally no words that can emulate the beauty of this place. It’s hard to say when the best time would be to visit here, however l would have to recommend late summer, as Hanalei Bay is probably like a bathtub and you’d have the best chance of anchoring on this coast during a spell of light trades and no swell, if you’re lucky. Just off of Kalalau is sand bottom, and you can swim or paddle to shore. The valley is closely tied to the indigenous Hawaiian communities and is one of the most, if not the most beautiful valley in all of the islands. The adjacent beach is called Honopu. It is kapu or “forbidden” to go to shore with anything but yourself; you must swim. The current rips along this coast making NE swells really stand up. It’s gusty, but manageable. I’m jealous of the powerboats zipping by us closer to the coast!!! Our good friend used to work on charter boats over here, and she said this coastline will chew you up and spit you out if you’re not careful, so we kept our distance from shore. She said there’s only about 20 days a year, if that, you’ll get decent conditions. Really, the best way to explore this island is by land. We’ll head over to Nāwiliwili tomorrow morning and perhaps rent a car for a day or two in final preparation before our Pacific crossing. AHH!

Boat & Crew

Ciao Bella

Tayana, Vancouver 460

Christy

Owner

Porter

Hitching a ride

David

Owner