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Thursday, January 15, 2004

Weather Magnet


Boat smashed on Kona shore

By TRAVIS LOOP/ West Hawaii Today

Dean Towle discovered a devastating voicemail when he turned on his cell phone at 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Lt. Brian McCaul of the U.S. Coast Guard had called a half - hour earlier to inform him the Spanish Main, Towle's 65 - foot, three - mast sailboat, broke from its mooring in Kailua Bay and run aground on the rocky point directly in front of the former Thurston estate.

The collision with the shoreline tore a gaping hole in the port side of the bow and numerous holes were apparent along the keel.

According to Towle and McCaul, no oil or fuel leaked into the water, a primary concern of the Coast Guard and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

"There is water in all the compartments, so that means that there are holes up and down the length of the boat," Towle said as he moved about the uninsured vessel, inspecting the damage, removing valuable equipment and preparing to empty the supply of oil and fuel.

Heavy surf and strong winds continued to rock the boat on the rocks, making a shifting of the boat's position a possibility, especially with the high waves predicted to arrive overnight.

"That is why there is a line tied to the stern," McCaul said. "I am worried about the boat going around the corner of the point and heading towards the Ahuena Heiau."

Kalani Nakoa, who works for Kona Beach Boys and cares for the heiau, was busy cleaning up debris from the wreck, which he said boat owners in these situations should do themselves, but don't.

Guy Carlton, a Breeze Hawaii dive operator, was concerned about the mooring line tearing up the fragile coral along the shore.

Many of the people on the scene nervously glanced out at the other half - dozen boats moored in the bay, whose owners were undoubtedly aware of the Spanish Main's fate.

"Proper anchoring is the responsibility of the boat owner," McCaul added. "They need to make sure the mooring will hold the boat. Those vessels out there seem to be holding steady."

But Towle's mooring didn't hold early Wednesday.

He said the line was attached to a 5,000 - pound block on steel and he plans to dive down to investigate exactly where the break occurred once the waves calm.

Not only did the accident shatter Towle's boat, it shattered his dream as well. He bought the Spanish Main two months ago, registered it as a fishing vessel and was attempting to start his own business.

"I don't think my feelings and reaction to this have really come out yet," Towle said. "The best thing is that nobody was hurt. I could have had something happen out at sea and the ship could have sank."

To pay the bills for cleaning up the situation, Towle said he plans a sale of equipment and parts.

The preliminary plan for removing the boat from the shoreline was to begin cutting it up today and hauling it away piece by piece.

However, Richard King, general manager of Pacific Basin Mills, LLC, has conducted several of the salvage operations in the Kailua area and believed that more efficient options existed.

For one, he said, the Spanish Main could probably be towed away by a larger vessel and brought into harbor.

"The owner needs to decide the cheapest, simplest way to get the boat out of here and watch out for people trying to take advantage of his situation," King said. "The salvage business is really a pirate's game where people get what they can from the guy on the rocks."

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