Any Live-aboard slips in Honolulu?

[Casey]

I am planning to sail to Honolulu next summer and live there
Is anyone familiar with the availability of live-aboard slips for a 53'
sloop in the Honolulu area ?

Thanks,
Casey

[Steve]

I hear there is a new marina in Honolulu (area) that is about $300 a month
for an average cruiser. I don't have any other details but knowing the
attitude of the state officials, there are likely to be restrictions on the
length of time you can actually live on your boat.

There is a open anchorage off Sand Island, near the commercial port and that
appears to be the gathering ground for those on a low budget who can't
afford or can't get a slip in a marina. I think it's called Keehi Lagoon or
it is just off the Kalihi Channel.

This anchorage is rather exposed and very close, if not under, the airport
flight path.

Call yourself a 'cruiser in transit' not a liveaboard and you will be
better received in most ports and marinas.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

[Steve]

Thanks for the additional information. The time I have been there I have
been on business and stayed at the hotels in Honolulu. However I always
visit all the marina dock and anchorages just to see what the condition are
and hope for someday (soon) I will be among the "visiting cruisers in
transit".

As retire military, I am eligible to take my boat to the anchorage/marina at
the Naval Base at Pear Harbor, but unfortunately there is a waiting list
there as well. Nice facilities but no liveaboards.

If more liveaboards would become true cruisers then there would be less
hastle. After all, a cruisers are a "Moving Target".

Think about it.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

[Thomas Webb]

Steve wrote:
> I hear there is a new marina in Honolulu (area) that is about $300 a month
> for an average cruiser. I don't have any other details but knowing the
> attitude of the state officials, there are likely to be restrictions on the

> length of time you can actually live on your boat. ...

You probably mean Ko Olina (http://koolinamarina.com/). It is a
Looooong way out of Honolulu. It is brand new and quite nice, but there
are few services and it is very isolated. Nearer Honolulu you can
pick-up a transient slip at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor or the Hawaii
or Waikiki Yacht Clubs. These are also nice, but not long term
solutions and space is limited. Living aboard is not permitted in at
the yacht clubs except as a short term guest. There is currently no
anchoring allowed in Keehi lagoon, but you can rent a mooring or slip
there from the State or a slip from one of the private marinas.
However, Keehi, despite its great potential, has some serious problems.
First, the airport actually extends into the bay and is very loud and
dirty. Second there is a cement plant, a major road and a commercial
harbor to weather of Keehi harbor which all add to the noise and dirt.
The plant adds some rather amateurish barge and tug traffic to the
channels, too. Third, most of the slips are cross-wind, the fairways
are tight and the wind blows quite smartly much of the time in Keehi.
This makes getting in and out of the slips for big boats a bit of an
adventure. Finally, there are only a few slips big enough for a 53
footer so space could be an issue. Still, you can almost certainly get
a mooring as a transient live aboard in Keehi. It is technically
impossibile to get a live aboard permit in any of the State harbors near
Honolulu while living aboard your boat in that harbor on a transient
permit, yet some people seem to be able to extend their transient
permits indefinately, particularly in the Ala Wai... YMMV.

-- Tom.