For the second time in as many months, a vessel has run aground on Maui shores. In March, the 56-foot motor boat broke loose from its moorings and grounded in Lāhainā near the Hauola birthing stone.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources took control of the boat, and immediately began efforts to remove it due to the cultural significance of the site.
“The Hauola stone is where the Piʻilani aliʻi line of Maui birthed their children. It is a sacred site,” said DLNR Deputy Director Laura Kaakua. “DLNR did not permit the owner to bring their boat anywhere near the stone, and specifically directed the owner to stay far away from the cultural site. The majority of boat owners are responsible, but recent actions by a few have harmed Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural resources. Damage to our reefs and cultures sites is unacceptable.”
In February, a luxury yacht ran aground near a marine preserve at Honolua.
