Updated at 5:34 p.m., Thursday, December 20, 2007
Hull of grounded sailboat in Waikiki removed
Advertiser Staff
A state contractor today removed the hull of a 36-foot sloop aground off Waikiki and plans to recover the keel at high tide sometime after midnight or at the latest by Saturday morning, said a Department of Land & Natural Resources official.The state, meanwhile, has given the owner of a 32-foot sailboat stuck on the mudflats at the entrance to Ke'ehi Harbor until tomorrow morning to remove the boat.
DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said Pacific Environmental Corp. specialists floated the hull of the TereMoana across the reef to the beach.
David "DC" Carter, PENCO's area manager, said the hull was brought to a spot on the diamondhead side of Fort DeRussy Beach at about 5:30 p.m. The hull will be hauled away to a landfill.
"The key for us was making sure not to break any living coral," said Carter. Specialists spent most of the day rigging the hull as high as possible to protect the reef, Carter added.
The keel is on the reef but in deep water 30 feet from the surf zone, Ward said.
At Ke'ehi, the owner of the "Wind Rhyme" will attempt to remove the sailboat at high tide. If the sailboat is still on the mudflats tomorrow morning, DLNR has advised the owner it will hire a contractor to have the boat removed.
