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Grounded yacht at Honolua finally freed but later sinks offshore

Luxury yacht, the Nakoa, was finally removed Sunday by rigging crews after it was grounded on the rocks and reefs for nearly two weeks at Honolua Bay. It later sank in 800 feet of water. DLNR photo

The Maui News 

A luxury yacht that had been grounded for nearly two weeks at Honolua Bay was finally freed Sunday afternoon after a rigging crew worked over the weekend to remove the boat, but the 94-foot-long boat later sank offshore. 

Just outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District, the salvage ship Kahi, which is operated by Visionary Marine LLC, and a tractor tug called the Mary Catherine, operated by Sause Brothers Inc. of Honolulu, pulled the Nakoa off nearshore rocks and reefs during high tide. 

However, during towing, the yacht was scuttled in 800 feet of water, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation reported a few hours later. 

It had taken on water, was listing starboard and riding bow high after being pulled free by the tractor tug early Sunday afternoon, the DLNR said. 

A rigging crew worked all day Saturday and again Sunday morning securing the rigging to the Nakoa.

Prior to the 3,300-horsepower tug hooking up, the salvage crew used a carbon cutter to free either the yacht’s prop or rudder, believed to be the reason earlier attempts did not succeed, according to a news release. 

Sunday provided the best weather and ocean conditions for the complex operation to free the Nakoa, the DLNR said. 

DLNR Chair Dawn Chang watched the salvage operation with Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. and Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin, who holds the West Maui residency seat.

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Efforts underway to remove a dinner cruise yacht ran aground off Maui coast

Efforts to defuel a luxury tour yacht that ran aground in shallow waters off Lahaina, Hawaii , last week are underway. 

The Maui Princess, a 100-foot passenger vessel widely popular for its sunset dinner cruises around Maui, broke free from its mooring farther offshore on Thursday after “a part reportedly failed,” according to a news release by the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). The ship drifted closer to shore and ended up stuck on “a shallow shelf of sand and rubble.”

The incident did not cause any injuries. 

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Maui Princess owner David Jung hired Willoughby Consulting and Adjusting to lead the defueling effort. The company started removing the ship’s 2,500 gallons of fuel, batteries, hazardous materials and other items on Monday afternoon. 

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The release said the process is expected to take several days and involve up to 10 helicopter trips to remove the majority of the fuel. 

“This is pretty calm compared to the stuff I’ve done in the past,” David Willoughby from Willoughby Consulting and Adjusting said in a transcription from Monday.

Jung did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment but told local media outlet KITV 4 Island News on Friday that the grounding was an accident. 

Since the Maui wildfires destroyed Lahaina Harbor last August, the boat has paused all commercial operations and struggled to find a location to be permanently docked. 

The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources is “providing expertise and guidance for the removal operation to minimize any additional impacts to important hard substrate and living corals in the area.” Aquatic biologists have been unable to assess possible damage to marine life due to high surf along the West Maui coastline.

After the defueling, a salvage contractor will move the boat into deeper water during high tide. 

Last February, a different private luxury yacht ran aground off the northern coast of Maui. The vessel leaked fuel into the ocean and damaged coral and live rocks.  

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

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Defueling of grounded luxury yacht at Honolua Bay on Maui begins today

The US Coast Guard is using a private contractor, to begin defueling the 94-foot-long luxury yacht,  Nakoa , which grounded on Monday outside the Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District. 

The grounded vessel’s location on rocks below a cliff requires the use of a helicopter to lift barrels of fuel from the boat, over a dirt road, and onto land where it can be transported offsite, according to state officials.

The work will result in the temporary closure of the dirt road near Līpoa Point off Honoapi‘ilani Highway.  The closure goes into effect this morning and is being carried out by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources in collaboration with the US Coast Guard, and Maui Police Department.

The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement will provide ocean safety support, including a moving perimeter around the  Nakoa  as needed. Mariners and ocean users are advised to avoid Honolua Bay and Mokulē‘ia Bay today, as access may be restricted. MPD will block the dirt road at Līpoa Point to keep people safe during the defueling operation. 

“Līpoa Point, Honolua Bay, Mokulē‘ia Bay, and the surrounding waters are treasured areas to Maui residents and the goal of DLNR and its partners is to keep everyone safe during this high-risk operation,” according to a department news release.

“All three agencies, along with the contractor, are working to remove the vessel as quickly as possible so that no further harm is done to the bay, and access can be restored,” the release said.

This comes after the County, Mayor and community members urged state and federal agencies to expedite the process .

DLNR reports this coordinated effort was developed through collaboration between agencies, and with Senator Angus McKelvey, Representative Elle Cochran, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, Council member Tamara Paltin, and the Save Honolua Coalition. 

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Defueling of grounded luxury yacht on Maui done; $460,000 plus salvage operation next

On Saturday, defueling of the 120-ton, 94-foot luxury yacht “Nakoa” that was grounded along the shoreline of Maui was completed.

Next is the $450,000 plus salvage operation that is expected to begin on Sunday just outside the Honolua-Mokulē’ia Marine Life Conservation District, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources. 

The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the operation to remove an estimated 470 gallons of petroleum products, other hazardous substances, and 14 marine batteries off the yacht owned by Jim Jones.

The boat grounded six days ago. Although the area has day-use moorings with a time limit of two hours, Jones told media that he didn’t know the rules and stayed overnight with his family when one of the lines snapped and the boat hit the rocks.

The Coast Guard retained Sea Engineering of Honolulu as the contractor.

Sea Engineering hired Maui-based Pacific Helicopters Hawai‘i to fly 55-gallon drums of fuel from the boat’s stern to a staging area near the top of Līpoa Point, where they were transported by truck for disposal. 

Chief David Jones of the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu called the defueling a success.

“For the last five days we’ve been working with the contractors from Sea Engineering and Pacific Helicopters, starting with getting on the vessel and putting absorbent materials down to collect any free petroleum products,” he said. “Then for the last three days we’ve had the flight operations. Folks on deck pumped any fuel, oils and other materials out of tanks and machinery spaces into the barrels, where they were airlifted to land to be hauled off for proper disposal.”

David Jones and others characterize safe defueling as a complex operation that takes time and expertise to plan and execute. 

Sea Engineering President Andrew Rocheleau said the 2 1/2 days to defuel the yacht took longer because the vessel is listing, or leaning to one side, at the shoreline, so fuel moved into baffles within the boat’s 2,400-gallon tank.

“It took additional time to get into each of those compartments and either pump diesel out or use absorbent pads to soak it up,” he said. 

Rocheleau and everyone working on the defueling and salvage of the yacht understand the frustration many people on Maui have expressed about it taking almost a week to try and float the boat off the nearshore rocks and reef. 

“The process is actually fairly streamlined,” Rocheleau said.

Even before the Coast Guard and Department of Land and Natural Resources were notified by the vessel’s owner that he couldn’t pay for defueling or salvage of the 94-foot-long yacht, discussions and planning were already underway between the agencies and contractors, Rocheleau said.

“It takes time, as you have to assess risk to personnel, planning for safe helicopter operations, procurement and being sure that all government rules, regulations and laws are followed,” Rocheleau said. 

Now that defueling is finished, the vessel is under the control of the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation. The division contracted Visionary Marine of Honolulu to salvage the vessel and the company is expected to begin work Sunday morning. 

The dirt road leading into a viewing area at Līpoa Point will remain closed during the salvage operations for safety. 

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Maui Yacht Owner: ‘I Didn’t Know What I Was Getting Into’

Jim Jones says he wants to make things right, but former employees and Maui residents say he shouldn't have a boat.

Jim Jones says he wants to make things right, but former employees and Maui residents say he shouldn’t have a boat.

The owner of a luxury yacht that ran aground last month in Honolua Bay is trying to salvage his reputation as efforts continue this week to remove his 94-foot Sunseeker from a delicate reef off Maui.

“We are taking full responsibility for this,” Noelani Yacht Charters owner Jim Jones said Thursday. “We’re not running.”

That assurance may not be enough to persuade Maui politicians, community advocates and local mariners who say he shouldn’t stay in business at all. Several of his former workers have said he repeatedly ignored state boating regulations and skirted recommended safety practices, to the point where multiple people who worked with Jones said they quit because of risky behavior.

“He shouldn’t be allowed to have a boat,” a former worker said, speaking on the condition of anonymity .

Jones said he started out with a dream to buy a boat. A woodworker by trade, he began looking for one a few years ago around Honolulu and first set his eyes on a 65-footer — a “big monster boat.”

But his friend, a boat captain, cautioned him against getting one so big for his first vessel. Plus, harbors to store boats of that size are scarce in Hawaii. Where would he put it?

So Jones kept looking until 2020, when he settled on what he thought was the perfect opportunity: a 74-foot yacht that came with its own slip in Kewalo Basin Harbor. It had been used for charters in the past, and by renting it out in the future, Jones hoped it would pay for itself. The owner agreed to let him pay it off over time, sealing the deal.

In the height of the pandemic, Jones began pouring his resources into marketing and establishing a “luxury yacht image,” equipped with private chefs, bartenders and local musicians. 

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what I was getting into. I just figured it was something to pay the bills,” Jones said. “And then once this thing took off, we’re going, ‘Holy shit.’”

Now Jones is trying to assure government officials and the community that he will cover the cost of a nearly $500,000 salvage job .

On Feb. 20, Jones said he was on a family outing, spending the weekend in Honolua Bay, when his mooring line failed while attached to a mooring that’s only allowed to be used for two hours at a time.

The Nakoa, a 94-foot yacht that Jones said he brought to Hawaii in December, ended up drifting onto the reef. By the next day, the hull had been punctured, and diesel fuel spilled into the water leading into one of Maui’s most beloved marine sanctuaries . 

In the days that followed, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced that it was putting up $460,000 to try to haul the 120-ton yacht away. But after unsuccessful attempts and delays because of stormy weather, the yacht remained on Thursday evening.

DLNR officials said earlier this week that the salvage ship Kahi, operated by Visionary Marine, will return to Maui on Friday or Saturday. 

“We’ve been talking to the DLNR to let them know we’re not leaving them with the bill,” Jones said.

Jones said he was working with his insurance company to cover the cost. Asked to provide a copy of his coverage, he declined, citing the current investigation into the incident. He said he didn’t know the specifics of his insurance policy or how much it covered. 

“I feel his actions were extremely irresponsible,” said Maui County Council member Tamara Paltin, who has long fought to protect Honolua Bay. “I don’t think he fully understands how special a place Honolua is to so many of us and just how much aggravation he has caused our community.” 

As Jones works with attorneys, insurance agents and the state, he said he’s also determined to make amends with the Maui community and work to restore his company’s reputation. Since the incident in Honolua, he said he’s continued to run charters on his Oahu-based yacht, the Noelani, which will help him pay the debts he owes. 

But the Noelani has its own history of problems. The boat caught fire in Kewalo Basin Harbor in October, according to the Honolulu Fire Department.

Asked about the incident, Jones said the fire broke out in a guest suite, just as he was flying out of state to purchase the Nakoa. He blamed the fire on incandescent light bulbs that are common in older boats. Fortunately, he said, the Honolulu Fire Department responded and contained the fire from spreading out of the room. 

“When I first got a boat, my friends were telling me, ‘No, don’t get a boat; it’s nonstop problems,’” Jones said. “There’s constantly stuff going on.”

But mariners interviewed by Civil Beat say fires aren’t one of the nonstop problems boat owners regularly face.

“I can’t think of a reported fire incident in Maalaea Harbor in the 40 years I’ve been here,” said Michael Wildberger, a captain on Maui who’s run thousands of snorkel tours.

Catering To The Jet Set

After buying his first yacht in 2020, Jones said he quickly realized that catering to the ultra-wealthy in search of day trips on megayachts was an untapped market in Hawaii. High-end hotels were looking for luxury activities to send their clients on, Jones said.

In his marketing strategy, he made it clear: Noelani Yacht Charters wasn’t a basic fishing or snorkeling charter. His website advertises trips on Maui starting at $9,800 . 

“We cater to these guys that are flying in on their private jets,” Jones said. 

For almost two years, Jones grew his business with the Noelani, until he found an investor willing to help him acquire the Nakoa, the vessel that ran aground last month.

At first, Jones said he thought the investor would pay the transportation costs to have the Nakoa sent to Hawaii from overseas. When the investor suddenly said he wouldn’t cover that cost, Jones said he put up the money for the transport, which meant he missed out on paying almost $290,000 for the final payment he owed for the Noelani.

He was later sued for not making that payment, as well as failing to pay back $100,000 he borrowed from another person to pay for the Noelani.

Jones downplayed the lawsuits, calling them mutual agreements and “just records of the payment plans that we’ve created.”

With the Nakoa, Jones dreamed of expanding his business to allow multinight charters to Maui, where he planned to whisk clients away to snorkel trips around Molokini or head over to Hulopoe Bay on Lanai. He said he discovered Honolua Bay during trips on the Noelani, describing it as a place he couldn’t believe he could visit with a yacht of that size. 

Jones said he took his family to Honolua for a holiday weekend last month, and tied up at the mooring that’s only supposed to be used for two hours at a time. Asked if he was aware of the rule, Jones said was never informed of it by the Coast Guard or DLNR but had been “getting flak from day one” from Maui tour companies in the bay. 

“When you have the same company coming in, they’re switching boats every two hours,” he said. “What’s the difference of that versus us just staying there?”

It’s not the only law that community members have complained about Noelani Yacht Charters allegedly violating.

A month before the Nakoa ran aground, Tina Wildberger, South Maui’s former state lawmaker, wrote to DLNR about a dinghy shuttling passengers between the yacht and Kihei Boat Ramp, which she said isn’t allowed without a permit.

“There’s some serious high end pirate action happening here with these yachts,” Wildberger said in her January email to DLNR. “Does this vessel have a special permit to pick up passengers at Kihei Boat Ramp today?”

The next day, Wildberger got her answer: The boat didn’t have a special permit. 

Jones said he often stopped at Kihei Boat Ramp to make crew runs, including going to Ace Hardware. He denied picking up passengers though. He said that he doesn’t have a commercial permit for the Nakoa, but that he operates his business in a way that allows him to get around that. 

“That’s a whole other gray area,” Jones said.

His first boat, the Noelani, has a commercial permit. But Jones said he ran the Nakoa with a workaround called “bareboat charters.” That means that he rents the boat out to people without providing any crew. Instead, he can suggest when they rent the boat that the clients hire the crew that he’s vetted ahead of time. It’s a business model that’s popular among yacht rental businesses.

For now, Jones said he’ll keep running tours on the Noelani out of Oahu while charting his next steps. He’s hoping to find a replacement for the Nakoa and continue his expansion to Maui — if residents will have him.

“I’m hoping that we can meet everybody personally, to apologize to them face to face — let them know that and show them that I am local,” Jones said. “I think once we talk, they’ll realize I’m just like them.”

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.

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94-foot luxury yacht runs into reef in Maui’s Honolua Bay; salvage plan in works

The 94-foot luxury yacht  Nakoa  grounded nearshore of Honolua Bay in northwest Maui on Sunday and likely will take days to be freed from rocks and the reef.

The owners of the yacht have hired a private contractor to salvage the vessel, according to the Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources.

When a private vessel runs aground, the vessel’s owner is responsible to remove it, although the owner must coordinate with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to ensure that the vessel is removed with the least amount of damage possible to reefs and marine environments.

The vessel’s owner must also deal with federal regulations. On Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard federalized the vessel, which means the yacht cannot be moved until all fuel, batteries, and any other pollutants on board are removed. That process may involve a helicopter and is expected to take at least through tomorrow.  

That action came after a sheen of diesel fuel was seen leaking on Tuesday morning from the boat’s hull and was visible in surrounding water.

By Tuesday afternoon, a pair of officers from the state Division of Conservation & Resources Enforcement, who had been on the scene all day, reported that one of the owner’s friends managed to board the yacht and shut off all pumps. By late Tuesday afternoon, the sheen was not visible, but you could still smell fuel in the air. Booms will be placed around the fuel to keep any remaining diesel from moving out of the immediate area.  

Once the fuel and other potential hazards are removed, the Coast Guard will release the vessel back to the owner. At that time, the owner will need to provide the Department of Land and Natural Resources with an acceptable salvage plan for the vessel’s removal. Should the state not agree with the salvage plan, or the owner is unable to cover the cost of the salvage, the state will take the lead to remove the vessel and the owner will be responsible for all costs. 

Tuesday morning, a team from the state Division of Aquatic Resources conducted an initial underwater assessment of potential damage to coral reefs and live rock. Divers noted an estimated 30 coral and live rock were damaged but will need to return to do a more thorough assessment once the vessel is removed.

Based on those findings, the boat’s owner could face significant penalties as determined by the State Board of Land and Natural Resources. Corals and live rock (other non-coral reef organisms) are protected by state law.  

Additionally, the state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation and state resource officers are investigating the circumstances that led to the  Nakoa  grounding. Additional citations and fines could be levied based on the findings of that investigation.

“We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors alike,” said Laura Kaakua, first deputy with the Department of Land and Natural Resources. “Wednesday, the focus will be defueling the vessel, and then we can turn to efficient removal with the least additional damage possible.”  

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Salvage of grounded luxury yacht continues Monday

KAPALUA, Maui — Salvage work of a luxury yacht that ran aground in Honolua Bay in northwest Maui will resume on Monday after more than a dozen "pulls" were attempted on Sunday, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

After dark, the final pull managed to move the vessel, which has been grounded since Feb. 20, about 10 to 20 feet.

"It's estimated another 20-30 feet of movement seaward will be needed before the yacht is clear of the rocky coastline," the DLNR said.

On Saturday, officials defueled the vessel, which has been grounded outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District.

What You Need To Know

The nakoa, a 94-foot yacht owned by noelani yacht charters, ran aground in honolua bay on monday, feb. 20 during an attempt to remove the vessel from the reef tuesday morning, some fuel leaked into the bay officials have defueled the luxury yacht and began salvage operations on sunday, which will resume on monday initial assessments of the reef found that there was some damage to corals; the owners may face "significant penalties".

The dirt road at Lipoa Point will remain closed until salvage operations have concluded.

The U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the salvage operation to try to remove some 470 gallons of petroleum products, including diesel fuel, and other hazardous substances off the yacht.

“For the last five days we’ve been working with the contractors from Sea Engineering and Pacific Helicopters, starting with getting on the vessel and putting absorbent materials down to collect any free petroleum products," said Chief David Jones, of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. "Then for the last three days we’ve had the flight operations. Folks on deck pumped any fuel, oils, and other materials out of tanks and machinery spaces into the barrels, where they were airlifted to land to be hauled off for proper disposal.” 

The yacht's owner Jim Jones  told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser  last week that seawater entered the engine room of the 94-foot yacht, which made the ship's bilges pump out diesel fuel. He said “not a lot” got in the water and the pumps have been turned off.

“Once we found out the fuel was coming out, we turned it over to the Coast Guard,” Jones said.

The Coast Guard brought in the salvage company Sea Engineering to remove the fuel and vessel, the company's president, Andrew Rocheleau, said.

Once all fuel and pollutants are removed, the Nakoa will be released to its owner. Then, the owner must provide an acceptable salvage plan to the DLNR. If the agency doesn’t find the plan satisfactory, the state will remove the yacht and the owner will be responsible for the cost of the salvage operation. 

The yacht  ran aground Monday morning  in Honolua Bay after its mooring line snapped.

The vessel is stuck on the rocks near where surfers paddle out to surf. It's about 700 feet outside the state's Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.

According to the DLNR release, a team from its Division of Aquatic Resources conducted an underwater assessment of the area’s coral reefs and live rocks. “Divers noted an estimated 30 coral and live rock that were damaged, but will need to return to do a more thorough assessment once the vessel is removed.” It said that the owner may face “significant penalties” as corals and live rock are protected by state law. 

Other fines may be levied via DLNR’s Boating and Ocean Division and DOCARE once the investigations are completed. 

“We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors like,” said DLNR First Deputy Laura Kaakua. “Wednesday, the focus will be defueling the vessel, and then we can turn to efficient removal with the least additional damage possible.”

The Nakoa is one of two luxury yachts owned by Noelani Yacht Charters. It has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and a full kitchen. Charter packages start at $9,801, according to the company’s website.

—The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Maui businessman, captain sued for $2M after grounding luxury yacht

A business owner whose luxury yacht ran aground and leaked diesel fuel into waters off Maui last month is being sued for more than $2 million in damages by a trust that sold him the vessel.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Honolulu on Monday seeks at least $1.45 million for the loss of the yacht, which was supposed to be paid off over the course of 15 years. It also seeks at least $500,000 for salvage work and at least $500,000 for environmental damages.

Kevin and Kimberly Albert, trustees of the Albert Revocable Trust in New Mexico, filed the lawsuit against Jim Jones, his company Noelani Yacht Charters, and ship captain Kimberley Kalalani Higa.

The lawsuit says the only approved captain on the insurance policy was Joe Bardouche. Both have a 100 T U.S. Coast Guard license.

The lawsuit says Jones and his company used the vessel “in a grossly negligent manner” for a personal trip without seeking the approval of the trust.

The 94-foot yacht Nakoa ran aground in Honolua Bay on Feb. 20 after its mooring line snapped. Private contractors towed the ship out to sea, where it sank in about 800 feet (244 meters) of water on March 5.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to bill Jones for the $460,000 cost of salvaging the boat. It's also considering fines after the episode damaged coral reef.

The lawsuit says Jones notified the trust after the grounding that he had taken the yacht out for personal use.

It says Jones and Noelani Yacht Charters breached a purchase agreement holding the buyer responsible for any risk of loss or damage. The agreement also outlined operations, crew requirements and restricted uses.

A phone message left for Jones at Noelani Yacht Charters was not immediately returned. The company's website says it's no longer in business.

The company told The Maui News in February that “this was a family retreat with an unfortunate ending.”

120-ton yacht remains grounded on Maui

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Courtesy of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources

The luxury yacht Nakoa sits on the reef on Maui on Sunday after it broke its moorings last week and drifted.

The salvage ship, Kahi, back, was able to move the luxury yacht Nakoa, foreground, 10 to 20 feet further from shore on Sunday on Maui. The salvage teams returned on Monday to continue their efforts.

HONOLUA BAY, Maui — The state is still working to free a 120-ton super yacht from the corals and reefs of Honolua Bay in northwest Maui, more than a week after its owner accidentally landed the vessel on the shoreline.

On Feb. 20, Jim Jones, who owns Noelani Yacht Charters, grounded the Nakoa just beyond the boundary of the Honolua-Mokule‘ia Marine Life Conservation District in a blunder that has quickly made him infamous throughout the state.

In a Feb. 27 press release, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources stated that its hired contractor, Visionary Marine LLC, made more than a dozen attempts on Feb. 26 to pull the yacht off the shoreline using its salvage ship, the Kahi.

After rigging the Nakoa with various ropes and straps, the Kahi was only able to move the yacht about 10 to 20 feet before the “rigging lines on the Nakoa broke during the final pull.” At the time of the release on Feb. 27, the salvage crew had returned to continue their efforts, and was re-rigging the vessel with a stronger set of lines.

The DLNR also stated that a tractor tug, the Mary Catherine, operated by Sause Bros. Inc., was en route to Maui from Honolulu to provide additional assistance.

“Once on scene, it will join the Kahi in further attempts to pull the grounded yacht into deeper water,” the department said.

The DLNR estimated the yacht would need to be pulled another 20 to 30 feet before being freed.

The press release, which was issued close to 2 p.m., added that the salvage teams would wait until “higher tide conditions later today, before making additional attempts.”

The yacht has been de-fueled since Feb. 25, when all fuel and other hazardous materials were removed from the vessel. An unspecified amount of diesel fuel had leaked from the boat’s hull into the surrounding water, according to an earlier press release.

The DLNR said it had to take control of the yacht late last week, after Jones told the department he was unable to pay for the removal of his vessel.

“Since the yacht’s owner declined to pay for the $460,000 for retrieval of his boat, the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, by law, assumed control over the vessel, and will bill him.”

Jones also faces additional fines for “any violations of boating rules and regulations and for any potential damage to reef structures and live rock,” as well as additional staff and administration costs.

“All investigations are underway, and DLNR can’t comment further on pending charges or penalties.”

Jones had previously told The Garden Island that negative press was “blowing (him) away,” and that he was committed to resolving the issue and restoring the reef area.

“I live here. We’re local. It’s all about our land and our waters,” said Jones in a Feb. 22 phone interview.

“We definitely will be in contact with Maui specifically, all the environmental organizations, doing whatever we possibly can on our part to help them out,” he added.

Jones was unable to be reached for comment on reports that he was now unwilling to pay for the damage.

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Luxury yacht runs aground in Honolua Bay on Maui

By Jack Truesdale

Feb. 20, 2023

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COURTESY TAMARA PALTIN

A 97-foot yacht ran aground in Honolua Bay on Maui on Monday morning.

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A 94-foot Sunseeker luxury yacht ran aground in Honolua Bay on Maui Monday morning after its mooring line snapped, sparking outrage on social media over the boat’s potential damage to the marine environment.

Videos posted to social media showed the vessel, named the Nakoa, stuck on the rocks in front of where some surfers paddle out to the world-famous right-hand point break. It came to rest about 700 feet out­- side of the state Honolua-­Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District at the part of the reef surfers call the Point.

“Such a bummer,” big-wave surfer Kai Lenny commented on one Instagram post.

“They need to be held responsible for every inch of reef,” wrote another user. “I hope they receive millions in fines by the looks of the yacht that they have.”

The vessel is one of two luxury yachts owned by Noelani Yacht Charters. With a top speed of 32 knots, the Nakoa has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and a full kitchen. Charter packages start at $9,801, according to the company’s website.

“While she’s well suited for day trips around any of Hawaii’s major islands, she’s more perfectly suited for unforgettable multi-day luxury experiences for guests who demand only the best,” the website states.

Reached by phone, Jim Jones, owner of Noelani Yacht Charters, said, “The boat’s in great shape,” although some “stabilizer fins” broke off. Asked whether fuel was leaking from it as some Instagram users noted, he said, “There’s no leak at all.”

Jones was on a family outing when the mooring line snapped around 5:30 a.m., and the boat drifted onto the reef around 6 a.m., he said. “The wind came up strong this morning,” he said. Jones hoped the rising tide would lift it off the reef by 4 p.m. Monday, he said.

By 4:25 p.m. the boat could not be removed, according to Department of Land and Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Dennison. The Coast Guard was still on the scene Monday afternoon, he said. There was no leak of fuel or hazardous materials, he said.

DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources received a report at 6:30 a.m. that the boat had run aground, Dennison said. It was unknown whether the anchor or keel had been dropped, he said.

Crews were scheduled to return at 3 a.m. Tuesday to try to remove the boat at the next highest tide around 5 a.m., Dennison said.

DLNR’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation is checking the owner’s insurance, Dennison said. “If covered, recovery is the owner’s responsibility,” he said. “The full circumstances of this grounding are not known at this time, and the DLNR divisions will be following up appropriately,” he said.

Community members expressed their concern over the boat’s damage to the marine environment.

“The community is super concerned if another swell comes if the boat breaks apart in the lineup,” said Tamara Paltin, a Maui County Council member representing West Maui and volunteer president of the Save Honolua Coalition. “The Save Honolua Coalition has been trying for years to get the state to better manage the bay. The community is demanding full accountability from this company,” Paltin said.

When a crew tried to pull the boat off the reef at the 4 p.m. high tide Monday, “it wasn’t even budging,” Paltin said. “They might have one more chance tomorrow morning,” she said, when the tide is higher.

“What happened at Honolua Bay is an environmental disaster,” Tiare Lawrence, a board member of the community group Ka Malu o Kahalawai, wrote in a text. “In these situations, commercial and mooring permits should automatically be rescinded,” Lawrence wrote.

Day-use moorings have a limit of two hours, Dennison added. Buoys of this kind are intended to prevent boats from damaging the reef with their anchors, according to the Malama Kai Foundation.

Jones, who owns the Nakoa, says he spent the night in the boat moored to the day-use buoy. “We were unaware that that was not allowed,” Jones said.

“I get the locals are upset,” Jones said. “This is not intentional, and we apologize for being in this prime surf spot. We’re just trying to get off the rocks.”

Luxury yacht owner denied insurance coverage to remove grounded boat from Maui’s Honolua Bay

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The state’s efforts to recover $460,000 in expenses for the removal of a grounded luxury yacht at Maui’s Honolua Bay have hit a snag as the owner’s insurance company has denied coverage.

Jim Jones, the owner of the yacht Nakoa, confirmed in federal court that the insurance company denied coverage and that he has hired a bankruptcy attorney.

This leaves the state uncertain about who will pay for salvage and reef repairs.

Jones is representing himself in a lawsuit filed by his investors, who are seeking more than $2 million in damages, alleging that he violated his contract when the yacht ran aground in February.

Jones has denied any negligence.

The Nakoa, which had been used for luxury charters, was removed from the reef in March after being stuck for more than a month. The grounding caused significant damage to the reef , and experts say it will take years to recover fully.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Suit alleges ‘gross negligence’ in Maui yacht grounding that damaged reef
• DLNR: Grounded yacht scuttled at sea after being ‘successfully’ freed at Honolua Bay
• Salvage work continues for grounded yacht at Honolua Bay; owner faces hefty fines
• DLNR: Crews successfully defuel luxury yacht grounded at Honolua Bay
• Cleanup efforts underway after grounded luxury yacht leaked fuel into Maui bay
• Maui officials: Luxury yacht that ran aground near marine sanctuary leaked fuel into bay

Copyright 2023 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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