SOURCE: Maui (HI) News
DATE: 02-08-2010
HEADLINE:  Boat sinks; men swim ashore

Source Website

Whale watching trip goes awry; no one injured 

By CLAUDINE SAN NICOLAS, Staff Writer POSTED: February 8, 2010 

OLOWALU - Five men were forced to jump off their sinking boat Sunday afternoon and all swam safely about 100 yards to the Olowalu shore. 

Meanwhile, the Seawren III, a 27-foot recreational boat, sank into the ocean as the men collected what they had salvaged from the vessel. 

"Everybody's good. We're all all right," said one of the men on Seawren III. 

"I'm just sorry my boat is stuck out there," said the boat owner from Pukalani, who said he did not know what caused it to sink. 

"We didn't see a hole in the boat. I looked. There's just no good explanation," occupant added. 

owner sailed out of Lahaina early Sunday morning for a day of whale watching with four other men. He said they were returning from the back side of Lanai when they noticed water was streaming over the deck planks. 

"It happened fast," operator said. He said the men stayed calm and initially decided to steer the boat as close to shore in Olowalu as they could. 

But the boat was filling up faster than they could bail. 

"The water just starting coming over faster and faster and then the engine hit the reef," occupant said. "We had to bail out," operator added. 

A Fire Department crew from Lahaina and three ocean safety officers from West Maui responded to the Olowalu shore at about 4 p.m. Ocean safety officers on personal watercraft helped the men collect items on the sinking boat and in the surrounding waters.  

They were able to salvage fishing gear, coolers and other personal items. operator was thankful that occupant found his wallet intact. 

"You just saved me three months," "It's hard to get all these things (documents) in place," he said. 

Coast Guard officials were notified about the sinking boat and also were expected to respond to the scene late Sunday afternoon. Since the boat was carrying gasoline, there was concern about pollution. 

Operator said he had made inquiries about salvaging the boat. 

* Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine@mauinews.com.

NOTE: THE SEA WREN WAS BEING TOWED TO MALA WHARF WHEN IT BROKE LOOSE.  THOSE TOWING THE VESSEL WERE NOT AWARE THE VESSEL HAD BROKEN LOOSE.  IT EVENTUALLY GROUNDED ON LANAI.  THE OWNER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR VESSEL, CUT IT UP AND DISPOSED OF IT.

Lahaina                       