Hawaii’s Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has approved a $117,000 fine to be issued to the operators of a yacht that became grounded and sank in a Maui nature reserve earlier this year.

The 28.1m Sunseeker yacht Nakoa was originally grounded on 19 February 2023, after breaking free of its mooring in Honolua Bay. Although the area does permit day-use moorings for a maximum of two hours, the yacht’s owner Jim Jones told local media that he ‘didn’t know the rules’ and was overnighting with his family on Nakoa, when a line broke, causing the 2004 Sunseeker 94 to hit the rocks nearby.

The yacht leaked an unknown quantity of fuel into the surrounding ocean after the incident, and eventually sank to a depth of 300m during a failed salvage operation.

The settlement of $117,472 — to cover ‘reef and coral damage and administrative costs’ has now been issued to the investors of the trust that was involved in the grounding of the vessel — Kevin S. Albert, Kimberly L. Albert and the Albert Revocable Trust. Salvage costs are not included as these were covered by Jones’ marine insurer.

Jones had entered into a 15-year purchase agreement with the trust to buy Nakoa. The Nakoa was being operated as a charter vessel by Noelani Charters, owned by Jones.

Hawaii Nakoa grounding Maui

The trust has already filed a lawsuit against Jones and the company, saying terms of the contract, including safety and commercial use restrictions, were being violated during the unapproved personal voyage.

But community members demanded more, during testimony at a Land Board meeting on Friday (28 July 2023). Hawaii News Now quotes resident Leonard Nakoa, who said he and other neighbours of the bay access it multiple times per week, and resent the commercialism of the bay.

“We got to deal with, I gotta say, these dummies that come over there and disrespect our cultural rights and our resources,” Nakoa says.

Board chair Dawn Chang said one response would be to bar Jones from operating another charter company.

“He should not be permitted to operate any commercial activity on our ocean waters,” Chang says. “He’s not demonstrated that kind of trust.”

In an unrelated incident in March 2022, controversy erupted in Queensland, Australia, after parts of a millionaire’s luxury yacht began washing up on a pristine beach. The 27-metre cruiser sank in Statue Bay, on Queensland’s Capricorn Coast, after large waves damaged it during a storm.

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