Hawaii Nautical

Hawaii Nautical

The Ko Olina Cat is a beautiful sleek 53-foot catamaran run by the Hawaii Nautical company.  Tours leave out of the very exclusive Ko Olina Marina and stop at the best snorkel and dive locations on the Waianae coastline.

I can honestly say the one-on-one attention aboard the Ko Olina Cat is the best on the island so it’s not hard for me to find an ‘excuse’ to make another reservation for one of their great Dolphin Snorkel Sails.

The day of my trip, I arrive at Ko Olina Marina to find Captain Todd Haylett greeting the other guests on the dock.  Captain Todd is an expert at sailing Oahu’s western coastline and knows all the best snorkeling spots.

I board the Ko Olina Cat to the smiles of the crew, Jay and Gardenia.  The first thing you notice about this tour is it doesn’t feel like one.  The genuine aloha of Jay and Gardenia makes me feel like I’m sailing with friends.  These guys know how to treat a guest!

After a short orientation and safety briefing, the crew unties the mooring ropes and Captain Todd maneuvers us into the blue Pacific Ocean.

Jay and Gardenia are already bringing us our favorite beverages as we stretch out on the spacious deck in the warm Hawaiian sun.

We’re on our way to my favorite snorkeling spot on Oahu - Kahe Point, and I can’t wait!  Kahe Point is nicknamed, Electric Beach because of the electric power plant located nearby.  The electric plant outflows clean warm water through two giant cooling pipes offshore.  The warm water attracts scores of sea life.

Electric Beach is known for its clear blue water, abundant fish, and its most famous inhabitant… Hawaiian spinner dolphins.  Hawaiian spinner dolphins like to rest in shallow, calm water during the day, and Electric Beach fits the bill perfectly.

As we approach Kahe Point, Captain Todd’s keen eyes spot a dolphin pod and glides our catamaran into shallower water to take a look.  The dolphins are resting, and we keep our distance so as not to disturb them.

I move to the bow of the boat to get a better look as the dolphins methodically break the surface to breathe.  Gardenia takes the opportunity to educate us on Hawaiian spinner dolphin behavior as we watch them swim in lazy circles.

Suddenly, the whole pod dives below the surface and disappears.  As we sigh in disappointment the dolphins re-surface, this time encircling our boat! 

From my experience spinner dolphins are very curious, and this pod is no different as they swim and play just feet away.  Cameras click as they swim alongside us, in front of us, and even under us.  We're all very impressed.

I look back at the helm and see Captain Todd smiling.  You can tell he gets a kick out of seeing his guests happy.

It’s time to let the dolphins get back to resting and the captain turns the Ko Olina Cat toward our snorkeling spot.

Hawaii Nautical’s mooring (anchor spot) is adjacent to the warm-water pipe openings.  You couldn’t ask for better parking; talk about convenient!  A few kicks from the boat and we’ll be right over the best snorkeling on Oahu.

We pull up to our mooring and Captain Todd gives us a briefing on the snorkeling area.  He and Gardenia also give a short ‘snorkeling 101’ class for the beginners in our group.  By the way, with Hawaii Nautical we don’t have to worry about who was using our snorkel before us; we each get a brand new snorkel to take home with us as a souvenir of today’s trip.

It’s time to go snorkeling and Gardenia helps everyone down the swim steps while Jay floats in the water below, making sure each guest gets in safely.  Lots of one-on-one service!

I can’t wait to get into the water so I put on my mask, slip on my fins, and slide into the sea.

The first moments in the warm Hawaiian ocean at Electric Beach is something more akin to flying than snorkeling.  The water is so clear, the blue tint of the ocean is my only reminder that there’s actually water between me and the sandy bottom.

My eyes slowly take in the underwater view and I realize I’m surrounded by tiny, curious fish floating around me like constellations of stars.  Schools of yellow and red goatfish search the sand with their tiny whiskers for a tasty crab.  Black striped sergeant fish bustle over the coral that’s covering the pipes, trying to look busy.  A pair of graceful flippers catches my eye as a Hawaiian green sea turtle comes into view, swimming up to see the strange new comer to the neighborhood.

The more playful fish tumble as they swim into the warm current out-flowing from the pipes.  Like a game they quickly turn around and swim back for another round of somersaults.  I wonder if fish get dizzy?

Even through the silence of the water I can sense the enthusiasm of my fellow snorkelers.  They point in all directions, excitedly gesturing about the exotic marine life.

While observing a turtle swimming lazily over the reef, I notice Jay helping a couple snorkel.  Earlier, the woman looked apprehensive getting into the water. She is now holding a floatation ring while Jay slowly tows her over the reef so she can enjoy the underwater view.  Talk about one-on-one service!  I know he just made their whole vacation!

I look up towards the boat and see Captain Todd watching over us, making sure all is well.

All this snorkeling is making my stomach growl but Gardenia already has it covered.  She has laid out a great lunch on the lower deck of roast beef and turkey sandwiches, cookies, chips, cheeses, and vegetables for dipping.  Slowly we all trickle back to the boat to eat and enjoy the warm deck. 

The afternoon winds begin to pick up speed making for perfect sailing conditions.  Captain Todd wants to take full advantage and heads our sleek boat north to tour the beautiful Waianae coastline.

We sail with the breeze in our faces, sipping tropical drinks, and improving our tans.  I used to wonder what it was like to own a yacht?  I don’t have to anymore.  This is the life!

Oh yeah, speaking of tropical drinks, the Ko Olina Cat has a full bar onboard and makes a delicious rum concoction called the Catatonic.  All I can say is don’t miss it!  The exotic tropical flavors make the whole Hawaiian sailing experience complete!

As I talk Gardenia into revealing the secret Catatonic recipe, we reach the furthest point north on our tour.  The captain turns the wheel, adjusts the rigging, and our boat begins to swing south.

The wind is now at our backs and the sails instantly bellow to life.  The boat lurches forward and we’re off!  If sailboats were cars, the Ko Olina Cat is a Ferrari.  The dark turquoise water races by as we slice effortlessly through the waves.  This boat was built to fly!

On my last trip aboard the Ko Olina Cat, another sailboat pulled alongside us on our way back to the marina.  Captain Todd peered at the boat then turned to us and said, “When you’re alone, it’s called sailing… when there’s another boat, it’s called racing!”  We laughed and braced ourselves for the fun!

He tightened the rigging lines and adjusted the sails, coaxing a few more knots out of our craft.  The other boat had the same idea and increased speed trying to gain a lead.  We both sped toward our impromptu finish line - the marina buoys.

In the end, they were no match for the sailing skills of our captain as we edged ahead and crossed the harbor buoy first!  We cheered and waved to our competitor in smug victory!

There is no racing today but the sail home is just as beautiful.

Ko Olina marina is slowly coming into view and I’ve had another great day sunning, snorkeling, and sailing.  As we glide up to the dock, I overhear a couple saying they wish this trip wasn’t coming to an end – obviously they had as much fun as I did!

The Hawaii Nautical crew are experts at customer service and operate 3 boats:  the Ko Olina Cat for snorkeling and sailing; the Lei’d Back for private charters and dinner sails; and their newest addition the Sea Dreams II for snorkeling, whale watching, and scuba tours.

After riding every snorkeling tour on the island, I can honestly tell you, Hawaii Nautical is the best full service snorkel sail on Oahu.  These guys know how to spoil a guest!