85-foot boat grounded in Kihei, Maui; breaks from mooring during strong winds

The Coast Guard is responding to a vessel that broke free of its mooring and ran aground near Sugar Beach, Maui, Tuesday.

Coast Guard Sector Honolulu watch standers received notification at 5:07 a.m. from a good Samaritan that the 85-foot motor vessel “Chaparral” ran aground. Local authorities arrived on scene and confirmed there were no individuals onboard at the time. 

Coast Guard Sector Honolulu pollution responders were notified and have been engaged with the vessel owner. Currently, there has been no report of pollution in the water.

“It is not unusual for recreational boats to run aground around in the Hawaiian Islands when there is a strong and sustained Kona wind. The Coast Guard has robust relationships with state partners and oil spill response organizations that enable us to ensure that salvage and pollution removal efforts are made as quickly and as safely as possible, said Cmdr. Kristen Hahn, Sector Honolulu Response department head. “We will continue to work with the owner of Chaparral until the vessel no longer presents a threat to the marine environment.”

Coast Guard officials say they will work with local partners and the responsible party to ensure the appropriate actions to remove the vessel from the beach are taken to minimize any potential impacts to the environmentally sensitive area. No wildlife impacts have been reported or observed at this time.