KAILUA-KONA — A derelict boat that’s been sitting in a lava field on the side of Queen Kaahumanu Highway for more than a month will be removed this week.
The state Department of Transportation will remove the vessel on Thursday, Shelly Kunishige, a spokesperson with the department, confirmed Tuesday after talking with the Hawaii Island district engineer. The vessel, she said, is within the state’s right-of-way.
Kunishige was unable to provide any additional information on the planned removal, including when the effort was initiated by the state.
The vessel, which has no identifying marks or names on it, was dumped without a trailer in early November on the makai side of the highway, just south of the entrances to Kua Bay and the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery in North Kona. It’s sat there since, becoming a canvas for graffiti and an apparent dumping ground.
Police Maj. Robert Wagner said the boat’s owner is unknown because all identification was removed. He noted that officers made an abandoned vehicle report in November and forwarded it to the county Department of Environmental Management.
West Hawaii Today contacted the state regarding the boat after learning of an effort by Tina Henline and Clark Patrick to coordinate a Lava Boat Removal and Paina. The effort, which was to take place Dec. 30, grew from a social media post earlier this month by Henline venting about the boat that caught Clark Patrick’s attention.
“He messaged me and was like ‘let’s do it, let’s make a fun day out of it,’” Henline said. The duo was set to take the boat out in chunks utilizing a dump truck, trailer and crew from Patrick’s landscaping company, in addition to any volunteers who wanted to take part in the effort.
Though the event is no longer needed, both Clark and Henline said Tuesday they were happy to hear the abandoned boat would be removed this week. The paina will go on as planned.
“I’m stoked that it’s happening so quickly. Quicker than I thought,” said Henline. “I’m stoked that our community workers are getting it done. That’s awesome.”