Maui Sailing Canoe Mast Stolen

Maui sailing canoe mast stolen. Photo courtesy Michael Elam.

By Wendy Osher

The Maui Canoe Club is hoping a stolen mast from a club canoe gets returned.

Club leaders say their sailing canoe, Hoku Holo o Ke Kai was pushed into the ocean along with its Bigfoot trolley on or around Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012.

The canoe was found on the beach near the Whale Sanctuary, undamaged, but the mast was stolen.

The 12-foot mast was fabricated from five Hemlock kiln-dried planks, and utilized 40 feet of Kevlar for lashing.  The mast is tapered with a single block bolted to the port side.  It is a whole wood structure that is finished with two coats of Tung oil and 10 coats of spar varnish.

All of the club canoes are staged on the beach along North Kihei Road between Ma’alaea and North Kihei.

Club leaders say all of the canoes are culturally significant, especially the sailing canoe with its crab claw rig.

The case is under investigation by the Maui Police Department.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Maui police.