The 65-foot catamaran Hula Girl, which had been stranded at Maui's Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Marine Life Conservation District for nearly two months, has been successfully removed. The vessel's removal on Friday afternoon was a relief to its owner, Kapalua Kai Sailing, Inc., the salvage crew, and the West Maui community.
The catamaran became grounded in January due to a storm and a compromised motor. It was unable to operate and ended up on Honolua Bay's rocky shoreline. The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) and Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) collaborated with the vessel’s owner to create and implement a salvage plan.
Several challenges delayed the boat's removal, including high winds, bad weather, and uncooperative tides. Finding a company willing to undertake the salvage also proved difficult until Cates Marine Service, LLC agreed to take on the task. Randy Cates, the company's owner, is experienced in boat salvage operations and has dealt with groundings in the bay before.
Cates Marine Service previously managed the removal of another yacht from Honolua in 2023. This time they worked with Foss Marine to free Hula Girl from the rocks. Preparations were completed by Thursday night, and by Friday noon, Foss Marine's tug arrived. Surfers and snorkelers were advised to avoid the area during operations. Once connected to Hula Girl, it took less than an hour for the tug to free the vessel.
An initial assessment by a DAR dive team indicated no harm was done to coral or marine life in the bay. Another evaluation will be conducted now that Hula Girl has been moved. There appears to have been no fuel or oil spill or damage to reefs.
Hula Girl will next be moored offshore at Māla small boat ramp for temporary repairs before being transported to O‘ahu.