Makua (Oahu)

[Kyle]From Poka’i, we made a short trip up the west coast of O’ahu to Makua, the very last beach before rounding the corner to the north shore, the first several miles of which was a prohibited military firing range. Practically, it was about seven beaches away, but it took us a while to make our way there in the fluky winds.

By road, Makua is right where the pavement ends after driving past many many other places on the way out of Honolulu. If you live in the city and want to go to as remote a spot as possible for your July 4th holiday weekend, you go to Makua. It seems that many people had the same thought and the beach was lined from one end to the other with tents and sun shelters. There were people playing on all manner of water toys during the day and campfires and picnics at night along with several amateur fireworks displays, and a wonderful smell of freshly caught fish on the barbecue.

A great place to spend our last night on Oahu

The beach was backed by a huge bowl of towering mountains sloping upwards at increasingly steep angles until rising vertically to a ridge that seemed barely wide enough to stand. It seemed to be Hawai’i at its most primeval.

Pok’ai Bay

[Kyle]After leaving Ala Wai, we anchored for one last night off busy Waikiki Beach before leaving Honolulu and sailing to the west coast of O’ahu, passing Pearl Harbor along the way.

We had less wind than expected, so we had a slowish trip along our route, which took us fairly far out in order to avoid Pearl Harbor’s many restricted areas. We were in no hurry so it was a stress free sail, with even a little competition along the way. We didn’t get back to within sightseeing range until we passed Barbers Point on the southwestern corner of the island.

The western side of O’ahu is rugged and arid. I called the Anterim Coast of Northern Ireland Green Arizona. This place is somewhere between the two. The steep hills are green, but not necessarily lush.

In the lee of O’ahu, the wind started acting crazy, adding a couple of extra hours to our day’s sail before we were finally able to anchor in Pok’ai Bay off the village of Wai’anae. The bustle of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach had given way to a much more sedate village life.

We arrived at the start of an outrigger canoe race, and did our best to keep out of their way

Maryanne: After the crazy rush of yard work, sightseeing, cleaning, and provisioning in Honolulu, we are finally able to spend some time again at rest; with nothing more than a little swimming and reading to occupy our days (and I'm sure Kyle will want to to tinker with the engine at least once to justify it all).

Luau in Oahu

{Maryanne: I've been keen to get to a traditional luau (Hawaiian festival/feast complete with entertainment) since we've been in Hawaii.. We seriously considered one when we were in Lahaina but the ticket price and the long walk had us stalling until it was too late. I was determined not to miss what may well be our last chance - billed as a starlight luau, here was one within a short walk from the boat and it sounded Idyllic, I even tried to book the more expensive ticket with better seating (unfortunately they were already full, I was too late).}

[Kyle]After our big hike up and around Diamond Head, we spent most of the day doing boring stuff nearer to home. Since we live here, we have to find time during the big vacation that is most of our lives to get things like banking and trips to the grocery store done.

We topped the day off, though, with a luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We couldn’t believe we’ve been in Hawai’i for almost two months and haven’t yet made it to a luau, but they are pretty expensive, so we needed to treat it as a one-time thing.

I’m sure almost everyone who comes to Hawai’i for the first time wants to go to a luau, so it’s a pretty big part of the tourist industry. There are luaus everywhere every day. Ours had a permanent home on the rooftop of one of the complex’s buildings. We thought that would be pretty cool with Waikiki Beach as a backdrop. It was also convenient to Begonia.

Well, the rooftop luau turned out to be on the rooftop of the five-story parking garage, which was by far the shortest of their buildings. We could see people’s balconies on the surrounding towers, but no beach. Hmmm… not only do you have to read the fine print, you have to read between the lines.

I got to make an orchid lei bracelet, and play with some native instruments

It must be hard to create a personal experience for hundreds of people every single day. They did okay, but there were times when we felt like they were phoning it in.

The experience started by queuing up in a big crowd/line for seating, which had the feel of entering the stadium at a football game. We were seated at a long table with eight other people and offered mai tais in plastic cups. We tried engaging in conversation with the other guests, but they seemed to be in pretty heavy mainland mode and all we could get out of them were short, grunted answers. Perhaps they were self conscious about how horribly wrong their plastic surgeries had gone. There was a noticeable relief when we were excused to the buffet. Now, mouths would be to busy eating to talk.

The luau proper started with the cheesy host singing a song, ala TV variety shows in the ‘70s, along with pitches to buy stuff on sale in the hallway. It felt like we were at a wedding on a cruise ship. I was starting to think we were in for an evening to endure when the dancers came on stage.

Lots of costume changes and different Polynesian dances were performed, pretty cool actually

Our luau was organized as a series of dances from various regions in Polynesia, with a little explanation and a song by the host in between. The dancing was incredible and very high energy. It was interesting to see the different styles and elaborate costumes of each island group. The grand finale was a fire dance from Samoa, which was impressive on its own and made even more so since it was done using the same troupe that had already done all of the evening’s other exhausting dances. Also cool was that the area around the stage filled with the smell of burnt white gas as the dance went on. Oh, yes, the fire was real.

We left with smiles on our faces, although I could have done without the rest. I think I would rather have just gone to see a dance demonstration and skipped the cheesy cruise ship part.

Although, it was quite long, so it would be nice if they fed us. They would also have to do something with the dead air during the dancer’s costume changes. Okay, so maybe it was fine after all. If they had called it Dances of Polynesia instead of a luau, I would have entered with a different expectation. If you go, do that and you’ll have a great time.

Honolulu's Diamond Head

[Kyle]We headed out the next day with our only plan being to make it to the other side of Waikiki Beach at the base of Diamond Head. Making our way through the crowds on the beach, Maryanne revealed that she had secretly hoped to go to the top. Sure! That’s my thing, too!

The long but entertaining walk to Diamond Head

It wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. It turned out that the only path to the top started from inside the crater, which was accessed by a road that went all the way around to the other side before tunneling into the middle. We were determined, though. We arrived at the viewpoint after climbing far too many stairs for the steep final push to the top. By the time we got there, we had walked over five miles from the boat, much of it on soft sand.

The hike up with switchbacks and stairways was (eventually) rewarded with some great views

We were tired, but decided after leaving the tunnel that we just had to go back the long way, allowing us to feel the accomplishment of not only summiting Diamond Head, but also circumnavigating it. We can be a little crazy.

Pedestrians have to share the entrance tunnel through the crater wall with any other traffic (luckily there wasn't too much). Eventually we are back down to almost sea level and get one good view of the lighthouse before hiking back along the Waikiki beach

The beach on the way back was almost as entertaining as on the way out. It would have been if not for our aching feet. Maryanne says it feels like being in a movie set. It really does, walking along tiki torch lit paths with Hawaiian music playing in the background. I was expecting to be put off a little by Waikiki’s crowds, but it’s all so beautiful and all of those happy people on glorious vacations seem to add to the place.

Back before sunset - and eventually we got to enjoy the kind hospitality of the local Hawaii Yacht Club (the nearest building to our slip!)

[Maryanne]Diamond Head is an icon for the area; it's on numerous logos and postcards, and is just as well known to sailors as hotel-based tourists. It's a natural volcanic crater that was used by the military as a perfect lookout post (and still houses active military today within the crater). The trails to the look out posts have been taken over by the National Parks service and for a small fee you can 'enjoy' the hike to the top (well, at least enjoy the views from the top). To add to the brutal heat, Kyle has been suffering badly with back pain since the yard work, so all walking is broken up with frequent sit downs, no matter how many times I say "let's take the bus" or "we don't have to be doing this" he refuses to give up and just keeps on walking. While I'm not quite sure what he's trying to prove, I am enjoying the leisurely pace and the people watching we get to do on the way.

Honolulu's Historic District

[Kyle]We were up early for a long walk to see ‘Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil. Hawaii’s last non-Kamehameha monarchs, King Kalakaua and Queen Lili’uokalani, governed from here before the U.S. government annexed Hawai’i.

'Iolani Palace - home of the last Hawaiian Royals before they were quite illegally and unreasonably overthrown by the American military in support of American commerce (not such a proud piece of American history!)

The palace was stunning. Both monarchs had really embraced European-style royal opulence on which they modeled their positions and it was apparent in every corner. Most impressive to me was the magnificent Throne Room.

Afterwards, we walked over to Chinatown. Chinatown in Honolulu seems less well defined than in other places. It seemed more of an Asiantown with ragged edges. A highlight was the Lei making district, where tiny shop fronts are home to crowds of ladies making leis (those beautiful flower garlands) so unmistakeably Hawaiian. There were several Chinese groceries, but other than that, most of the businesses were Filipino or Thai, with the occasional Italian or French restaurant.

Honolulu's China town - Home to Wo-Fat (remember Hawaii Five-O?) among the classic Chinese stores and you can find almost anything (including Leis and chicken feet - just in case you were feeling peckish)

We were hungry and looked in vain for a Chinese restaurant before finally buying an especially delicious Thai lunch at a big food court, once refuelled, we headed out to the Foster Botanical Gardens nearby. There, we found a serene, park-like setting amongst a great collection of giant trees, including my new favorite, the Painted Gum. {Maryanne: There was such a variety of fruits and spices, just so many amazing plants in the Gardens. Including tiny 100 year old palm trees and giant fruits, coffee, black pepper and beautiful flowers....}

We made our way back home by heading back through Chinatown to the waterfront. Chinatown is not really the best area, but the part of Honolulu between there and the Ala Wai is distinctly worse. We ended up getting through okay. It was broad daylight, though. I would be pretty scared to go there at night. Its a little grubby and with a very large homeless population, often with shanty homes set up in the parks and even on the sidewalks; there is also quite a bit of very obvious prostitution of various types (more skanky than pretty; quite eye opening!).

It turns out the Ala Wai sits right at the border between the nice and not-so-nice parts of town. There are all sorts of stories going around about how dangerous and run-down it is. We have seen a hint of that here and there, but overall it seems fine, we've witnessed no threatening behaviour towards us or other passers by. Begonia is on a nice new floating dock and we haven’t had any problems with security or felt unsafe. We have certainly been worse places. It’s a big place, though and some of the other areas seem a little sketchier.

No visit to Honolulu can be considered complete without a trip to the top of the 'Aloha Tower' where we bump into (yet again) the luxury Mega-Yacht "A". After enjoying the views from atop, the walk home via the Magic Island beaches was tempered with rain, but also provided another Hawaiian rainbow for us to enjoy back at the marina

Stepping foot in Honolulu proper

[Kyle]We had a reservation for the next few days at the state run marina at Ala Wai Harbor. Before that, we decided to cool off with a snorkel at one of the sites off Waikiki. There didn’t turn out to be much there (coral wise), apart from lots of triggerfish and a few turtles, but it sure felt good to have a swim. Maryanne spent the longest time in because she had elected to be the one who went in in search of the underwater moorings.

This snorkel site (Turtle Canyon) is known as a cleaning station for the Green Sea Turtles, they arrive and the smaller fish come along and eat off any growth from their shells, etc...

We spent most of the day dong boring stuff. Maryanne went through the long and rather frustrating check-in process, and then marched into town to do a giant load of laundry. I stayed behind and scrubbed Keehi’s mud into the Ala Wai. It turns out our boat really is mostly white underneath.

With everything, including us, all nice and crisp smelling, we headed out for a walk along Waikiki Beach. The very next thing that happened was the weekly fireworks show at the Hilton, just on the other side of the Ala Wai parking lot. Magnificent!

The nearby Hilton, aside from having a semi-private lagoon, also has fireworks every Friday night for us all to enjoy - what a welcome!

After that, we spent a couple of hours watching the spectacle of the jam-packed waterfront. There were lots of people just hanging out, enjoying the weather. There was an endless wall of outdoor restaurants, many of which had live Hawaiian music. We know it was being done for the tourists, but it really makes an instant atmosphere of paradise. We even saw a guy doing an impressive performance using all manner of things on fire (just for tips).

Fire dancing performer - just one of the things that entertained us on our walk along Waikiki beach our first night having escaped the yard

[Maryanne] All so much nicer than being in the yard... We're loving it!

Oh, the Fun’s Over Now!

[Kyle]We left the quiet paradise of morning on Waikiki Beach for the noise and grime of the Keehi Boatyard. The staff was ready to go at our appointed time and we were soon hauled out and blocked over what seemed to be the only mud puddle in the yard.

We removed the old starboard rudder, which had done double duty for an amazing total of 4,405 nautical miles. Some of the paint had worn off, but otherwise it looked no worse for wear.

We then removed the remainder of the port rudderpost. It broke just above the lower bearing about three inches into the tube. It had some growth and some rust staining. There seemed to be a defect in the material that slowly developed into a crack. Once water got in, corrosion started and it was just a matter of time. Even so, it made it thirteen years and over 20,000 miles before it finally broke off.

Begonia being hauled out - and the culprit! The sheared rudder post that made such a mess with our plans and our bank account.

Our rudders made it just in time. Actually, they had arrived the previous Friday, but the yard had refused the shipment on the basis that they had no idea who we were in spite of our many emails and phone calls leading up to it that specifically dealt with the rudder delivery.

The yard was weird. They were efficient about getting things done when they said they’d be done, which is great if you’re on a schedule. The staff is hard working and couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful when we needed anything at all.

Management was another story. The office staff was also nice, but the paperwork had a very adversarial tone to it. We had to sign form after form with long lists of dos and don’ts as if we were checking into a Catholic boarding school and there were little fees for everything. I’m surprised we weren’t required to weigh our trash and pay for its disposal by the pound. Most irritating was that there were no showers provided and we were absolutely not allowed to use the Keehi Marina showers next door. We were told that was because we were supposed to be working in the yard, not living, even though it cost a LOT more to be in the yard than in the marina and they were the same company. Well, I’m sorry, but if I’m splashing through the mud puddle under my boat while doing hot, sweaty work covered in full-body protective painting gear in the tropical sun all day, I am NOT getting into bed without at least two showers first! We did what everybody else did and snuck off to a corner with a hose and a bar of soap at the end of the day. Same story for laundry.

Rudders arrive and undergo various stages of attention before FINALLY they are back on Begonia and we can return to the water

Once we were out of the water, the usual boatyard misery began in earnest. The engines, which still had a surface temperature of 55°C (131°F), needed oil changes, as did our saildrives (the long underwater units that connect the engines with the propellers). The paint on the hulls, saildrives and propellers needed sanding in preparation for painting. The new rudders looked great, but of course they were new. We had to remove all of the gummy tape they had used to attach the packing materials, then we had to remove the mold release wax used in manufacture, then they each got four coats of a special sealant and primer before we could even start with the antifouling paint. There were also lots of other little miscellaneous jobs we figured we might as well do while we were out of the water. It was all miserable, hot work. Begonia quickly became covered in dust and mud and her interior was soon a two-foot deep pile of tools and spare parts, which had been brought out for the occasion.

That was day one. On day two, Maryanne “escaped” by renting a car so we could divide and conquer (she is severely allergic to bottom paint so it is important that she keeps out of the way while it is being applied). I spent the entire length of daylight that day in dark blue coveralls breathing the steamy air through a respirator. In between, I drank five gallons of Gatorade, which still wasn’t enough.

Maryanne says she got the better end of the deal that day, but I’m not so sure. She spent the whole day running around chasing up every possible thing we might need between Honolulu and California. She arrived home after 9pm with a car stuffed to the ceiling with hundreds of pounds of groceries, all of which had to be carried up the ladder and put inside for the night out of any potential rain. She spent most of day three packing things away, including all of the tools and parts we no longer needed. Apart from the floors, Begonia looked even better than when we hauled out.

By Thursday, all of the paint had dried. The yard lifted the boat up nice and high to make room for the shafts and we got both rudders installed and working properly. We finished up the last of our jobs and by nightfall we were ready to hose off and treat ourselves to a celebratory night out. Despite being in an area that is, oh… not nice, there is a really nice restaurant at the marina with a lovely tropical Hawaiian atmosphere. It was such a much-needed escape from the yard. In the yard we'd met up with some Turkish sailors we'd first chatted to in Hilo. They were just about to leave, so the four of us dined together and celebrated their imminent escape from the yard.

We were back in the water first thing on Friday, filled the fuel tank and the spare jugs and headed back to the main part of Honolulu in a boat that seemed so much more responsive on the helm.

{Maryanne: After almost a week in the yard, hard at work, doing a job that seemed cruelly forced up on us rather than scheduled maintenance, we were very ready to leave. Not to mention we needed to get a shower soon so we could feel properly clean again.}