The thrill of arriving at a new destination by sea is usually superseded by the longing of three things, at least for us, especially when the passage takes weeks instead of days. Our excitement by that time is already increased by hours, our watch schedules long abandoned for the first evidence of land. So what we desire most of all, once the anchor is set, is some cellular service, a well deserved cocktail, and a full night’s sleep. Often, we arrive in the wee hours after long voyages as we did this time in Okoe Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii, and thus wake up excited once more for the first real glimpse of our haven.
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Always exciting to see where we landed!
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| These are our first images of the Big Island! |
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| The sea bed looks very much like this shoreline of craggy lava rocks. |
We woke that first morning pleased to find ourselves safe and well embedded in a stunning and somewhat deserted cove on the southwestern Hanamalo Point. It was a landscape we had not yet encountered in our travels on india. Wild and dramatic with black volcanic beaches and fierce surge breaking on outcrops of dark yet beautifully ominous volcanic outflow. The swirling waters of intense blue ocean were mesmerizing and we spent time catching up on our rest and tidying the riot onboard incurred from the tumultuous passage. A few days of quiet solitude was just what we needed before moving on to the full onslaught of civilization we knew awaited.
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| Images of pyroclastic flow on the shoreline. |
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| More evidence of the power of nature! |
The appropriately named Big Island is the youngest of the Hawaiian Islands formed from six volcanos working together and partially overlapping during the last million years and are responsible for some impressive world records. Kilauea is the most active, Mauna Loa is the most massive active volcano and Mauna Kea is the tallest sea mountain. What is particularly interesting about Hawaiian Volcanos is that they are formed on a slowly moving pacific plate over a stationary hotspot located beneath the present-day position of the Big Island of Hawaii. In 2018, a new eruption of Kilauea changed the island forever when large lava flows destroyed over 700 homes and devastated residential areas in the southeastern Puna District. The summit area of the volcanic national park was dramatically changed by thousands of earthquakes, towering ash plumes and a massive collapse of the Kilauea caldera. I remember watching this event on television at home on the mainland wondering how anyone would be safe on an island erupting into a deadly and destructive ooze, but now I realize how enormous the island is. The northern parts were only minimally affected. It took us all afternoon to motor 30 miles up the coast to the port of Kona-Kailua because, as we were beginning to realize, Hawaii's anchorages are largely comprised of national parks, marine sanctuaries, swimming areas for grand resorts and fishing grounds or are primarily geared for small recreational vessels if they are at all protected from a dominating Pacific swell. Which is why we found ourselves anchoring once again in darkness 6 hours later post sunset in unfamiliar territory since Kailua-Kona was our second Plan B for that day.
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| Kona-Kailua Waterfront |
Here we were able to process ourselves and our boat through Customs and Immigration the next morning which turned out to be relatively painless despite the Covid-19 Precautions. We had notified authorities of our arrival in advance and our passage from the Marquesas provided adequate quarantine. In a short time we were cleared and free to explore the town area which was festively decorated, Hawaiian style, for the Christmas Holidays.
Considering the distances, we rented a car for a few days and divided our tours into sections starting towards the northern points and taking the coastal road then inland through the peaks and valleys all the way to Kapa'au. Our first stop on the way was the Kanaloa Octopus Farm at an aquaculture research facility on the west coast. After a short introduction, we were escorted to a large wet lab containing about 30 tanks, each housing a single cephalopod because unless they are mating, they are hostile to one another. We were invited to interact with these amazing creatures by putting our hands into the tanks and wiggling our fingers to attract their attention. It is not every day that one shakes hands with an octopus! I was surprised by their strength when they latched on and tasted us with every tiny suction cup! They are curious, highly intelligent and adaptable to their changing environment. We saw first hand how instantly and dramatically they change color indicating mood, an ability critical in camouflage for predator avoidance and hunting. They are very playful and seemed to enjoy squirting us through their siphon, or breathing tube, and will grab a GoPro and disassemble it in seconds if you are not quicker than they are! We will never forget our encounters with these other worldly and fascinating octopuses. It was a rare treat indeed.
The northern parts were green and lush and covered in farmland. We enjoyed driving through fields and then forests along good roads and delighted in the rise and fall of the landscape offering changing views at every summit and occasional small towns with a Hippie Vibe straight out of the 60s! We stopped for some delicious Kona coffee and browsed around the local shops and paid homage to the statue of the very late Hawaiian King Kamehameha I, the founder and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It was one of our most favorite days.
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| Coffee break in the town of Hawi |
The following day was spent primarily in the Hawai'i Volcano National Park which extends from sea level to 13,677 feet and encompasses two of the world's most active volcanoes - Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea is the youngest of all six volcanoes and has been in an actively eruptive state since 1983. The name Kilauea means "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language and this volcano certainly delivers! We drove around as much as we could and stopped to walk around the observation points. As it turned out, we were some of the last viewers of the crater lake before the Halema'uma'a caldera at the summit of Kilauea erupted on December 20, 2020 just two weeks later! Lava is now feeding the ever growing lava lake from three fissures. It is tempting to go back to see it again!
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Windward Coastline
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| Hot Pot or Vent |
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Crater Lake
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Closer View of Crater Lake
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Ha'akulamanu Sulphur Banks
The greenest and most fertile part of the island is found along the Hilo and Hamakua Coasts, where tropical rainforests and botanical gardens can be found. We knew we couldn’t visit all of the many waterfalls which require arduous but spectacular hikes. So we chose Akaka Falls State Park for a reasonably accessible and time efficient walk through an absolute paradise of tropical vegetation and flowers. As for a Botanical Garden, one can do no better than Queen Lili'uokalani Park with it's Japanese Gardens which we strolled through on a misty afternoon. Hilo, another big town on Hawaii is a much older in age and in style than the resort-like Kailua-Kona and doesn't have the sunny beaches found on the other side. It's a college town, with higher levels of rainfall and closer to the majestic waterfalls and hikes. We found Hilo to be charming with great hole-in-the wall restaurants and retro-chic shopping and stopped for a bite a couple of times since the Costco, Lowes, Target and Walmart are also located there! We never go back to the boat empty handed when we have a car!
We noticed from our very first cup here in Hawaii, how absolutely delicious the famous Kona Coffee is and we were excited to take a tour of a Coffee Farm. Greenwell Farms is one of the largest and oldest, having a legacy since 1850 and a great founding story. They were highly recommended and we found the tour incredibly interesting and informative. We have been buying and enjoying coffee from the region ever since!
Although Hawaii was not in our original voyage plan when we set off from Panama last March, it has been an unexpected opportunity for us. Surprisingly, neither David nor I have visited these beautiful islands before and being an American port gives us quite an advantage. Most importantly, it gives us protection from the Southern Pacific Cyclone Zone but in addition, our cellular plan works perfectly here and we can easily receive packages and shipments from the mainland with no extra handling and custom charges. As I mentioned before, the provisioning for the boat is excellent and we can reasonably upgrade a few interior items as well. I will also admit that my impression of Hawaii heretofore has been totally unfounded. Hawaii is far more exotic than I ever imagined with a rich history and culture. The people here are uncommonly friendly contrary to opinions I had read and heard in the past. Of course, there is not the usual amount of tourists here now due to Covid, so it is not crowded and overrun in that respect and the locals aren't overwhelmed. So far the challenge has been in the logistics of where to anchor the boat and weather windows for the channels between islands. But I think we can manage that. So far, it has been a very pleasant experience and we are just getting started! If you ever plan a trip here don’t miss out on what the Big Island has to offer. It is the biggest of them all, and super laid back and starkly beautiful with many attractions to keep you busy. We loved it here!
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