Aloha

[alohasailor]

Hello All - I've been stopping by to check the site out as recently. I guess I would be a wanna be (for now). My girlfriend and I live aboard Elnath, our Gulfstar 44 in Honolulu, Hawaii. I'm stationed there with the military right now. Poor me, huh? I would love nothing more than to sail off into the sunset when I retire, but we will see... Love my boat, love Hawaii, love sailing. Started sailing on the Chesapeake about ten years ago. Well, that's enough about me. Just trying to get rid of the little screen that pops up and ridicules me for not posting. Maybe it will go away now. I'll try to post a bit here, I like to talk, should work! Anyway, thanks for reading this far, if you are indeed still reading.

Cheers,
Scott
S/V Elnath
Honolulu, Hawaii

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Scott,
Welcome aboard!! There are many former Hawaii sailors that check into the forum from time to time. Good to have you here.
I served three tours in Hawaii out of a nearly 30 year career. Terrible, eh? I used to keep my boats in Pearl Harbor at the Marina (before the bridge was built).
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[ssullivan]

Aloha, Scott!

Welcome to the board. I can't wait to hear more about your Gulfstar 44. I have the Gulfstar Hirsh 45. It would be interesting to compare notes, photos, etc...

[Sunspot Baby]

Welcome aboard! It's wonderful you have a live aboard situation in Hawaii. Did beingin the military help in that regard? I understand there aren't many places to keep a yacht, must less live aboard.

George

[alohasailor]

Thanks for the warm welcome! Ssullivan, I'd love to compare notes and pics. My boat is a GS44MS. I'm a huge Gulfstar fan. They make suberb liveaboards. Actually have a funny story about how I ended up with this boat that I can share if interested. SkiprJohn and Sunspot, I had my boat on a mooring at Keehi Lagoon when I first moved aboard. I would have loved to stay out on the ball, but the State does not allow long term liveaboards. I moved to a transient slip at Pearl Harbor for a month. Very nice marina, but I do a lot of daysailing and the hour transit to the Pacific from Rainbow Marina didn't fit with heading out for a sunset dinner cruise after work. I fell into a slip at Keehi Marine Center (one of three marinas in Keehi Lagoon). Unfortunately slips are VERY hard to come by in Hawaii. I didn't do enough research before I bought my boat. I assumed slips on a tropical paradise island in the Pacific would be easy to come by! I'm happy with KMC other than airplane traffic. I just tell myself the jet noise is the small price I must pay to live an otherwise dream life on a boat in Hawaii. Anyhow, thanks again for the warm welcome one and all! I look forward to talkin' boats with y'all!!

Aloha,

[jimi71]

Hello Scott!

I just started researching liveaboard situations in Hawaii, and like you, thought that oppurtunities would be abundant! (How wrong was I..) I was wondering if you could tell me a little about Keehi where you are now?

Im looking specifically for info on:

-security in the marina
-allowance of pets
-rates for liveaboard

anything you feel like sharing... and also, in your searching, are you familiar with any other marinas on the big island?

I appreciate any information...
James

[alohasailor]

Good to hear from you! I love it here at Keehi. Good thing, as there aren't many other choices. Let me address your specific questions first. Unfortunately Keehi Marine Center does not allow any more pets. You may be able to get an exception through the Harbormaster, but as for now, no more pets. Security is excellent. We have a gated parking lot with passkeys. There is 24 hour security on site. There is also a keyed gate at the head of the piers. There are plenty of liveaboards here that watch after each other as well. It is quite a tight community. I'm currently paying a little over $900/month for my 44' sailboat. There is a fuel dock here at the marina as well. In Keehi lagoon, there are three marinas. I live at Keehi Marine Center. There is also the Keehi State Harbor and La Mariana. The state harbor piers are cheaper, but in a lower state of repair. La Mariana has a nice facility and a wonderful, wonderful resturant, but could not accomodate my boat. If yours is smaller you may be able to get in. Unfortunately I don't know of any marinas on the Big Island. Here on Oahu, Ko Olina is another good possibility. They are a very nice marina at one of the top resorts in the state. I think they are slightly more expensive, but have just opened up a number of new slips. Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. Good luck with your search. Are you sailing in from somewhere else? Looking to buy a boat here? Living here already? Hope to hear from you again.

Regards,
Scott

[Thermal]

Aloha Scott,
Cyberspace is pretty remarkable, reading stuff on this forum from people all over the world, and then I see you are from pretty close by, in fact I could probably see your boat if I stick my head out my forward hatch ... and knew where to look! (I'm living aboard next door, at La Mariana)

[swagman]

Welcome Scott,

I can't see you from where our yachts moored, but welcome nevertheless!

Hope you enjoy the site and look forward to your input.

Cheers
JOHN

[jimi71]

Originally Posted by alohasailor

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. Good luck with your search. Are you sailing in from somewhere else? Looking to buy a boat here? Living here already? Hope to hear from you again.

Thanks for the great information, Scott!

To answer your questions, my wife and I have been to Hawaii many times in the past 3 years (it helps when you have good friends living there We are originally from PA and really are starting to wonder why we subject ourselves to the kinda lives we know we do not enjoy...ie..snow, shoveling, cold, lack of ocean..etc.

I have been researching liveaboards for the past 3 years and we've always discussed it. I recently spent the past 4 months working in Florida and have met a lot of people who liveaboard in the marinas there. When I came home we talked about it some more and decided to research possibilities in Oahu.

I think the easiest thing would be to buy a boat already in the islands, but the biggest obsticle (aside from finding available slips) is that we own 2 small dogs -- a female Basset Hound and a male miniature Schnauzer and will not part with them (in discussing this with a a friend they said, "well, why not find a good home for them." That thought disgusted me, when I get a dog or any pet, its for life...I cannot imagine giving them away)

While I was researching liveaboard marinas in Florida, most all of them accept pets...no problem. Not the same in Oahu, so far we are coming up with dead ends. Aside from the quarantine (which they now offer 5 day if you meet a checklist of requirements before shipping them.) finding a marina that would allow them onboard is the biggest requirement.

So, thats our story...like I said, I really do appreciate your help (and everyone elses) So if you have any more ideas, I am all ears!

One more question, Do you or anyone else, know why there are no liveaboards allowed on the Big Island?

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Jimi71,
Liveaboards are not allowed on the Big Island for many reasons but most notably is that there are no facilities for them, i. e. commercial marina with pumpouts, etc. There is only one small marina which supports commercial fishers and a few non-commercial power and sailboats.
The local government is not pro recreational boating so it will be many years if commercial marinas will ever be established.
It is a beautiful place to live and to sail but not to keep a boat so much of our sailing and boating community trailers their boats. They must be small trailerables to even sail on the Hilo side of the island because the only sailboat useable ramp is on the landside of a bridge that has a clearance of 14 feet.
Not good planning by state DOT but then again I've yet to see good planning by Hawaii State agencies.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[jimi71]

Thanks for the info, John!

You would think that on an island as beautiful and diverse as the Big Isle, there would be more facilities for boaters...

I know of the marina you mentioned and they DO have liveaboard slips (on the Kona side) but I was told that there is a 5 to 10 year waiting list!

Crazy.