KUKAILIMOKU POINT — Salvage operations were underway Monday to recover debris from the Spirit of Kona, which grounded early Sunday off Kailua-Kona.
KUKAILIMOKU POINT — Salvage operations were underway Monday to recover debris from the Spirit of Kona, which grounded early Sunday off Kailua-Kona.
Crews from Cates International, the salvage firm contracted to remove the steel vessel, were on scene Sunday and Monday plucking items from the shoreline. A dive operation has also been conducted to determine the size of the debris field.
For the most part, all of the smaller items, including furniture, household supplies and other miscellaneous items, as well as some of the larger chunks of the boat had been removed by hand from the coast by Monday afternoon. The smell of fuel lingered in the air in some areas, and a sheen of fuel was still in tide pools.
Cates International did not respond to a message seeking additional details on salvage efforts as of press time Monday.
DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources staff visiting the site and surveying the coastline Monday afternoon said the salvage firm must first remove the debris before a dive can be conducted by the division to determine what damage occurred to the reef area.
The debris field stretches several hundred yards along the shore and underwater around the point to the Kukailimoku Lighthouse, which is also known as the Kailua Lighthouse. Large chunks of the yellow-and-blue vessel remained visible beneath the water Monday afternoon.
The 70-foot vessel grounded and sank early Sunday after it apparently broke free of its mooring and ran aground about 2 a.m. near the lighthouse north of Kailua Pier. No one was aboard the double-deck vessel at the time and no injuries were reported.
It is unknown just how much diesel and oil the boat was carrying at the time, however, DLNR officials at the scene said up to 300 gallons of diesel and 17 gallons of oil may have been on board at the time. The Coast Guard in a press release stated the vessel reportedly had a maximum pollution potential of 600 gallons of diesel fuel aboard, commercial batteries and 19.5 gallons of hydraulic and lube oils.
The Coast Guard reported a 120-by-53 yard nonrecoverable rainbow sheen in the vicinity Sunday.
Civil Defense said no property damage or other incidents, outside the Kona vessel grounding, had been reported in the wake of Tropical Storm Darby.
Hawaii Boats and Yachts magazine’s April 2016 issue contained a sales listing for the tour vessel. The 149-passenger vessel and charter business was listed at $1.25 million.