Hawaiian Airlines Magazine - June 1991
EDITOR'S Choice

Great finds throughout the Aloha State

We were drenched to the skin and tossing about in the waves off Kauai's east coast. Winds blowing 15 knots scraped the salt spray off the top of the swells and threw it in our faces. It felt like television's old Laugh In routine with guests continually suffering buckets of water poured on their heads. Many buckets. And we were grinning like the happy victims we were. After all, we'd paid for this experience.

The experience was sailing aboard the Westin Kauai Lagoon's 42-foot Kiele VI, one of the fastest high-tech sailing machines plying Hawaiian waters. This state-of-the-art, twin-hull boat was designed and created by Rudy Choy, of Choy Marine Services Inc. In an illustrious career, he has designed and skippered more ocean-going racing catamarans than anyone else in the Islands.

Choy's Aikane XS won the 1989 California to Hawaii Trans-Pacific Yacht Race and holds the record for the fastest sail-powered crossing: 6 days, 22 hours, 41 minutes and 12 seconds. "A high performance catamaran is a marvel and a joy," he says of the boats inspired by the ancient Polynesians' voyaging canoes. The Kiele VI was designed to sail 20 knots or faster-about twice the speed of the America's Cup yachts.

The nice thing about the Kiele VI is that it sails right off Kalapaki Beach in Nawiliwili Bay. If you're staying in the hotel, you can look off your lanai and see the sleek catamaran swing into the wind to hoist the main sail up the 60foot mast then gently slide up onto the sand. Don't expect dry beach-side service however. You wade into waves at least up to your knees to climb aboard this sailboat.

Onboard, the Kiele VI offers four bench seats along the boat's length, accommodating 12-18 passengers per trip. Two large nylon nets stretch between the hulls' bows, allowing for a spread-eagle ride just inches above the waves. Capt. Gary Craft and his crewman welcome the boarding passengers.

A salt-hardened 37-year-old, Craft has dedicated his life to boating. He sailed as a crew member aboard Choy's Aikane X5, and he was part of the team that spent two years building the Kiele VI. "This boat is the first and only one of its type," he says of his charge. "It was designed to give people a taste of something that in the past they would have had to spend a lot of time and a lot of money to experience."

Once everyone and everything was stowed on board, Craft and crew powered back off the beach and headed for the open seas under the loosefooted main and jib. The 800 square feet of sail caught the northeast trade wind the minute we cleared the harbor. No huffing and puffing here. We felt as though some turbo powered magic had kicked in, sliding us back into our seats and into the passengers beside us.

Cresting the first decent-sized wave, we got our baptism into ocean catamaran sailing. There was the thrill of shooting off the lip, instantaneously followed by enough fire-hose-force spray to make us know we'd be changing clothes back at the beach. "I tell people this is closer to river rafting, with waves coming over the boat, than it is to sailing," Craft says. If you're intent on staying dry (good luck!) the crew provides foul-weather jackets.

Once we got soaked, we revelled in each deluge and enjoyed the bucking ride. The wind howled through the rigging, hulls carved up the waves and the sails muscled the boat along at high speed. Craft and his cohort stood calmly at the helm while the passengers had a ball. One macho character-in gold chains and designer sunglasses-smugly laughed at those of us dripping wet on the starboard side. Then a wave broke over the port hull and left him sputtering as well. Another drenched passenger tried simultaneously to maintain her modesty and hold on to the boat, while questioning a decision to wear a thin, white T-shirt dress that day.

It was white-knuckle sailing most of the way, as the catamaran navigated for four or five miles out to sea. Words were whipped from our mouths; communication was reduced to screams and yells. When Capt. Craft finally spun the wheel and jibed the sails to run with the breeze, all was suddenly quiet. "See those cliffs up ahead," he said taking advantage of the calm and pointing to the sheer lava that makes up the coastline. "The ancient Hawaiians used to lower a sacrificial pall bearer down the cliff face to bury the aliis' (royalty) bones in the small caves and crevices. Then they'd cut the rope."

Craft pointed out several other historical sights along the coast and told how King Kamehameha and his warriors failed to conquer Kauai when the rough waters between Kauai and Oahu became too much for the war canoes. Craft also named the various sea birds that soared overhead, tropic terns, albatrosses, etc., and said it was quite common to spot lumbering sea turtles and leaping dolphins.

As we swung back into the wind, the spray flew once again. Several of us crawled onto the trampoline nets between the hulls, clinging like Spider Man to his web. Water so deep blue it was almost black raced beneath our suspended forms. Craft, to his credit, kept us from plowing head-first through any waves as we headed back to the beach.

The one-hour sailing adventure aboard Kiele VI costs $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 years and under. Second trips cost $15 for adults and $10 for children. The price includes soft drinks, if you're not too wet to drink them. Trips leave Kalapaki Beach four times daily, depending on weather conditions. Groups can charter the boat for $400 an hour, $300 for each additional hour. For reservations, call the Westin Kauai at 245-5050, ext. 5232.