honolua bay yacht jim jones

Maui businessman, captain sued for $2M after grounding luxury yacht

A business owner whose luxury yacht ran aground and leaked diesel fuel into waters off Maui last month is being sued for more than $2 million in damages by a trust that sold him the vessel.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Honolulu on Monday seeks at least $1.45 million for the loss of the yacht, which was supposed to be paid off over the course of 15 years. It also seeks at least $500,000 for salvage work and at least $500,000 for environmental damages.

Kevin and Kimberly Albert, trustees of the Albert Revocable Trust in New Mexico, filed the lawsuit against Jim Jones, his company Noelani Yacht Charters, and ship captain Kimberley Kalalani Higa.

The lawsuit says the only approved captain on the insurance policy was Joe Bardouche. Both have a 100 T U.S. Coast Guard license.

The lawsuit says Jones and his company used the vessel “in a grossly negligent manner” for a personal trip without seeking the approval of the trust.

The 94-foot yacht Nakoa ran aground in Honolua Bay on Feb. 20 after its mooring line snapped. Private contractors towed the ship out to sea, where it sank in about 800 feet (244 meters) of water on March 5.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to bill Jones for the $460,000 cost of salvaging the boat. It's also considering fines after the episode damaged coral reef.

The lawsuit says Jones notified the trust after the grounding that he had taken the yacht out for personal use.

It says Jones and Noelani Yacht Charters breached a purchase agreement holding the buyer responsible for any risk of loss or damage. The agreement also outlined operations, crew requirements and restricted uses.

A phone message left for Jones at Noelani Yacht Charters was not immediately returned. The company's website says it's no longer in business.

The company told The Maui News in February that “this was a family retreat with an unfortunate ending.”

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Luxury yacht runs aground in Maui, pumps diesel into water

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HONOLULU (AP) — A luxury yacht that ran aground in waters off the Hawaiian island of Maui accidentally pumped diesel fuel into the ocean after a failed attempt to remove it Tuesday, its owner said.

Jim Jones told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that seawater entered the engine room of the 94-foot (29-meter) yacht, which made the ship’s bilges pump out diesel fuel. He said “not a lot” got in the water and the pumps have been turned off.

“Once we found out the fuel was coming out, we turned it over to the Coast Guard,” Jones said.

The Coast Guard brought in the salvage company Sea Engineering to remove the fuel and vessel, the company’s president, Andrew Rocheleau, said.

Jones expects the fuel will be drained Thursday morning and that the boat will be removed Friday or by the weekend “at the latest.”

The yacht ran aground Monday morning in Honolua Bay after its mooring line snapped.

The vessel is stuck on the rocks near where surfers paddle out to surf. It’s about 700 feet (200 meters) outside the state’s Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.

The Nakoa is one of two luxury yachts owned by Noelani Yacht Charters. It has four bedrooms, five bathrooms and a full kitchen. Charter packages start at $9,801, according to the company’s website.

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Lawsuit over grounded yacht seeks $2 million in damages

Plaintiffs claim owner failed to follow their purchase agreement, rules of honolua bay.

The luxury yacht Nakoa is seen grounded at Honolua Bay on Feb. 24. The people who sold the yacht to Noelani Yacht Charters and Jim Jones are now suing for damages after the yacht spent nearly two weeks grounded on the reef before it was towed out to sea and eventually scuttled. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The trust that sold the 94-foot luxury yacht to Noelani Yacht Charters and owner Jim Jones is seeking more than $2 million in damages after the boat ran aground during a family sail along the West Maui coast and had to be towed from the reef and scuttled at sea.

Kevin and Kimberly Albert, trustees of the Albert Revocable Trust in New Mexico, say that Jones and the company purchased the yacht for $1.45 million in December and used the commercial vessel “in a grossly negligent manner” for a personal trip without seeking the approval of the trust, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court against Jones, the company and the captain.

The Alberts are seeking at least $1.45 million for the loss of the yacht, which was supposed to be paid off over the course of 15 years, as well as at least $500,000 for the salvage work and at least $500,000 for environmental damages.

Jones and his wife, along with four juvenile family members or friends, a captain, first mate and a crew member, began their trip Feb. 17 when the yacht, Nakoa, was moored at Lahaina Roads, according to the lawsuit. They traveled along the coast to places like Black Rock, Kapalua Bay and Honolua Bay before mooring overnight on Feb. 18 and 19 in Honolua Bay, where mooring is limited to two and a half hours per vessel per day and overnight mooring is prohibited.

The lawsuit says neither the captain nor Jones took the standard precaution of setting a manned mooring or anchor watch but instead relied solely on a digital anchor alarm.

The website of Noelani Yacht Charters, which once offered luxury yacht packages, reports that the company is no longer in business. This screenshot was taken Tuesday. Screenshot of Noelani Yacht Charters website

At about 5:20 a.m. on Feb. 20, Jones heard a notification from the anchor alarm around the same time as the captain noticed that the Nakoa was adrift. They started up the engines and tried to maneuver the boat but ultimately ran aground.

Efforts to salvage the yacht took nearly two weeks as federal and state officials worked to remove fuel, batteries and other hazardous materials. Hampered by poor weather and failed rigging, private contractors managed to free the yacht after multiple tries and towed it out to sea, where it sank in about 800 feet of water on March 5, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

DLNR has reported the salvage cost alone was $460,000 and planned to bill Jones. The department is also mulling fines after discovering that the yacht damaged corals and live rock across more than 19,000 square feet.

After the grounding, Jones notified the trust that he had taken the yacht out for personal use, the lawsuit says.

The trust is alleging that Jones and Noelani Yacht Charters breached the purchase agreement from December that outlined operations, crew requirements and restricted uses, and held the buyer responsible for any risk of loss or damage.

The trust raised complaints about Jones and the company “failing to notify the Trust about personal use of the Vessel, failing to obtain permission to use the Vessel for personal use, substituting an unapproved and unqualified captain to operate the Vessel and failing to adequately secure the financial interests of the yacht charter operations to adequately protect the interest of the Trust.”

According to the lawsuit, the captain of the Nakoa during the trip was licensed but was not the listed and approved captain on the yacht’ insurance policy.

Noelani Yacht Charters, which prior to the grounding had offered high-end luxury yacht vacation packages based out of Oahu, is no longer in business, according to its website.

Jones could not be immediately reached via email on Tuesday evening.

The company told The Maui News in February that “this was a family retreat with an unfortunate ending.”

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at [email protected].

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Owner of grounded luxury yacht in a Maui bay will get $460,000 plus salvage bill

Jim Jones, owner of the 94-foot-luxury yacht “Nakoa” that grounded in Honolua Bay on Maui, will be getting one big bill from the state for the salvage costs.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Land and Natural Resources said it has hired Visionary Marine of Honolulu to do the salvage operations. They had the cheapest bid, as well as the ability to start the operation the quickest.

“The state will bill the yacht’s owner for reimbursement of the $460,000 salvage cost, and for additional staff and administrative costs, and take legal action if necessary,” according to a press release from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

It was an expensive mistake for not knowing the rules.

The yacht was just outside the the Honolua-Mokulē‘ia Bay Marine Life Conservation District. Although the area has day-use moorings with a time limit of two hours, Jones told media that he didn’t know the rules and stayed overnight with his family when one of the lines snapped and the boat hit the rocks.

On Saturday, work will continue to remove fuel, other pollutants and batteries.

The state Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Maui Police Department will maintain the closure of the Līpoa Point dirt road tomorrow for continued helicopter operations. The road is expected to reopen as soon as the defueling process is completed.

The Coast Guard federalized the vessel, meaning it has jurisdiction over the yacht which cannot be moved until all potentially dangerous materials on board are removed. As soon as the process to remove fuel, hazardous materials and batteries is complete, the Coast Guard will turn over control of the vessel to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The state department will take control of the vessel because the yacht owner is unable to contract and pay for the removal of the vessel.

After completing its investigation, the Department of Land and Natural Resources may impose fines for any violations, and also will seek to work with the community to heal and restore the coral and bay and deter any recurrence. 

“The grounding at Honolua Bay and harm to the reef that it caused is felt deeply by those connected to the special area of Honolua,   Mokulē‘ia and Līpoa,” said DLNR Chairperson Dawn Chang. “DLNR’s duty is to conserve the natural and cultural resources of Hawaiʻi, so when the owner of a grounded vessel refuses to pay for removal, and the vessel poses a continued risk to natural and cultural resources, we must step up and contract for the removal ourselves. Our natural and cultural resources come first.” 

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Private luxury yacht spills diesel into protected marine sanctuary on Maui

A private luxury yacht that ran aground on rocks and reef Monday morning at Honolua Bay – a popular surfing spot and protected marine sanctuary in west Maui – has  leaked fuel  into the ocean, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. 

A sheen of fuel was visible on the water on Tuesday morning and during the afternoon, "you could still smell fuel in the air," according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. 

Maui County officials issued an emergency permit  on Tuesday morning to intervene "in response to the increasing risk of damage to the reef and ecosystem" that the stuck yacht poses. "The longer the vessel remains in the sensitive area the higher the risk of damage," said Mayor Richard Bissen Jr., in a statement. 

A team from the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Aquatic Resources did an initial underwater assessment of any damage to coral reefs and live rocks, which are protected by state law, around the boat and found about 30 to be damaged. Although further assessment is required, the boat owner could face "significant penalties."

Officials said it will likely take a few more days before the yacht can be freed from the reef. The U.S. Coast Guard federalized the yacht, meaning all fuel, batteries and any other pollutants on board must be removed first. 

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The 94-foot vessel belongs to Noelani Yacht Charters, a Maui-based company owned by Jim Jones. He told Hawaii News Now that he "was anchored offshore with his family for the past two days." Early Monday morning, Jones said a mooring line broke in what he called "a freak accident."

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Noelani Yacht Charters did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. 

According to the Malama Kai Foundation , a nonprofit dedicated to ocean stewardship, the mooring used by Jones overnight is only meant to be used short-term during daytime hours with a limit of two hours. 

Residents and advocates  were upset at social media images and videos of the stuck yacht. 

"The community demands this company be held fully accountable. This is totally unacceptable. The Save Honolua Coalition has tried for years to have the State control boat usage of the bay. We hope that this tragic incident highlights the importance of the issue. For now, we pray that DOCARE and the salvage company act quickly and effectively so that the damage be minimized,"  Save Honolua Coalition , a grassroots organization to protect the bay, said in a statement. 

According to a press release by the Department of Land and Natural Resources on Tuesday morning, if a private vessel is run aground, it is the responsibility of the owner to remove it "with the least amount of damage possible to reefs and marine environments." The owner needs to send a written salvage plan for approval to the department. In these sorts of plans, a private contractor typically pulls the yacht out to sea via tugboat.

Jones told he Department of Land and Natural Resources that "he was never aware of a land-based approach and had no plans to pursue such an action."

"This vessel grounded just outside the Honolua-Mokuleia  Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD), which has the highest degree of resource protections available under state law," said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang in the release. "We are coordinating our actions very closely with Maui County, the boat’s owner, the USCG, area legislators, and the salvage company. We want to do everything possible to prevent any additional damage to the reefs in the MLCD or elsewhere in the bay."

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected]

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Grounded yacht accidentally pumped fuel into Honolua Bay, owner says

Feb. 22—An effort to remove the 94-foot luxury yacht that ran aground Monday on the reef at Honolua Bay during high tide failed this morning and accidentally pumped diesel into the water, according to owner Jim Jones.

The issue has now gone federal, with the Coast Guard announcing that "sorbent materials" will be deployed today to clean up the pollution.

"Due to the urgency of the response needed, the Coast Guard Federal On-scene Coordinator opened the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, federalizing efforts to mitigate potential pollution to the environment," the Coast Guard said in a news release. The National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is primarily funded by a tax on oil producers to allow for rapid responses to oil spills, according to the Coast Guard.

A crew from the Division of Aquatic Resources at the Department of Land and Natural Resources will assess any damage the boat caused to coral and rock after it is removed, a DLNR news release said. Depending on its findings, DAR could recommend that the Board of Land and Natural Resources require Jones to pay fines or the cost of repairs, DLNR said.

"Based on its findings, DAR could recommend fines and/or repair measures at the owner's expense to the Board of Land and Natural Resources," the release said.

Photos from onlookers show red clouds emanating from the boat as it lists to its starboard side.

"There's no leak," Jones, who runs the Noelani Yacht Charters company, said, explaining that seawater entered the engine room, making the bilges pump out diesel fuel. "Not a lot," he said, adding that the pumps were shut off.

Jones anticipates the fuel will be drained Thursday morning and that the boat will be removed Friday or by the weekend "at the latest."

"Once we found out the fuel was coming out, we turned it over to the Coast Guard," Jones said. The Coast Guard then turned it over to Sea Engineering, Inc., a salvage company, to remove the fuel and the vessel, the company's president, Andrew Rocheleau, said.

"That's the goal," Rocheleau said, of Jones' timeline. He is now working with the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Jones on salvage options, but they have not finalized a plan.

Rocheleau said the de-fueling would take place on land, with a helicopter depositing gear at the bottom of the cliff and then flying drums of fuel out. He plans to remove the yacht by pulling it out from sea or "a land-based approach."

Jones, according to the DLNR news release, "indicates he was never aware of a land-based approach and had no plans to pursue such an action."

"This vessel grounded just outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD), which has the highest degree of resource protections available under state law," DLNR Chair Dawn Chang said in the news release. "We want to do everything possible to prevent any additional damage to the reefs in the MLCD or elsewhere in the bay."

Community members remain outraged.

"Major state FAIL again," Tiare Lawrence, a board member of the community group Ka Malu o Kahalawai, wrote in a text. "The first thing that should have been done was remove diesel."

There were eight people onboard the Nakoa when it ran aground Monday, and Maui Fire Department personnel got them to shore, the Coast Guard said.

The water and beach remain open, though people should "remain cautious," the Coast Guard said.

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Maui officials: Luxury yacht that ran aground near marine sanctuary leaked fuel into bay

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Maui officials confirmed the luxury yacht grounded near a marine sanctuary leaked fuel into the bay.

The 94-foot vessel got stuck on the reef on Monday at Honolua Bay. The extent of the leak is unknown at this time, and it’s prompting calls for action.

“The whole community is kind of little disturbed ... it’s just kind of shocking ... from an environmental aspect,” said West Maui resident Darren McDaniel. “So many people that have given so much of their heart and soul into taking care of this place, makes me teary eyed.”

On Tuesday, a sheen of diesel fuel was visible in waters surrounding the boat and people nearby complained of the stench of fuel in the air.

“People are angry. People are pissed. That’s for sure,” said Napili resident Mike Jucker. “It is very sad.”

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and a private contractor are trying to dislodge the 94-foot Nakoa and prevent any more pollution.

“Honolua Bay is in our Marine Life Conservation District. It’s got a wealth of marine life. It’s important environmentally, ecologically, culturally. And of course, also from ocean user point of view, it has a high recreation value. This is one of the most popular waves on Maui,” said Lauren Blickley, Surfrider Foundation Hawaii Regional Manager.

DLNR officials said the yacht can’t be moved until all fuel, batteries, and any other pollutants on board are removed. That process may involve a helicopter and is expected to take at least through Wednesday.

“What I understand, there’s no boom, which is used to contain an oil spill, or fuel spill. There’s no boom readily available on Maui. So, it’s having to be flown or shipped in from Oahu,” said DLNR Senior Communications Manager Dan Dennison. “That may take a little while.”

DLNR officials said it will likely be a few more days before the vessel is freed from the rocks and reef.

“Once the fuel and other potential hazards are removed, the USCG will release the vessel back to the owner. At that time, he will need to provide the DLNR an acceptable salvage plan for the vessel’s removal,” Dennison said.

DLNR said it’s investigating what led to the Nakoa grounding and citations and fines could be levied based on the findings of that investigation.

“This morning, a team from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) did an initial underwater assessment of potential damage to coral reefs and live rock. Divers noted an estimated 30 coral and live rock were damaged but will need to return to do a more thorough assessment once the vessel is removed. Based on those findings, the boat’s owner could face significant penalties as determined by the State Board of Land and Natural Resources. Corals and live rock (other non-coral reef organisms) are protected by State law,” said Dennison.

DLNR said active leaks have stopped because one of the owner’s friends managed to board the yacht and shut off all the pumps.

The Coast Guard said the Federal On-scene Coordinator opened the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund “federalizing efforts to mitigate potential pollution to the environment.”

Maui County issued an emergency permit allowing special equipment to remove the yacht to prevent further damage to the reef and the ecosystem.

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. issued a statement on the incident:

“I spoke with Governor Green today and shared the concerns our community has on what has happened at Honolua Bay and the need to expedite response efforts to protect the marine sanctuary and remove the grounded vessel. I share those concerns as well. I also received an update from DLNR director Dawn Chang that outlined the department’s actions and next steps requiring the involvement of the U.S. Coast Guard. I’ve conveyed that this is a serious matter and appreciate the attention of the Governor and his administration to address the situation. I understand that this is under the jurisdiction of State and Federal agencies and I’ve been assured that their efforts are being done urgently. I’ve assigned senior staff to carefully monitor the situation and offer support when appropriate.”

The owner of a luxury yacht has apologized.

Jim Jones, the owner of Noelani Yacht Charters, told Hawaii News Now he was anchored offshore with his family for the past two days, and then something went wrong at around 5:45 a.m. Monday.

“While we’re underneath the boat during our pre-check, the mooring line broke,” said Jones.

“As we come out of the boat, it was too late.”

Jones said he’s sorry for running aground at Honolua Bay and added that no negligence was involved.

“It was a freak accident and worst timing ever,” said Jones. “We couldn’t have done anything about this, and we’re doing everything we possibly can to try to get off of here.”

The 94-foot boat called The Nakoa is stuck in a prime surf spot and near a marine sanctuary where Honolua Coalition has been opposing developments and protecting the bay for nearly 15 years.

“It is a terrible optic, it’s just something you just would dream of never seeing, and it happened today,” said John Carty of Honolua Coalition.

”We’re hoping for the best that the damage can be minimized.”

The nonprofit Malama Kai Foundation said the public is allowed to use Day-use Moorings Buoys on a first-come, first serve basis with a two-and-a-half hour time limit.

Jones said he wasn’t warned of the rules and stayed there for two days.

“There’s nobody that contacted us ever about, ‘hey, you can’t be in this bay, you can’t hook up to an anchor here,’” said Jones. “And so, if somebody would have said that, we would have got out of here.”

Maui Community Advocate Tiare Lawrence is asking for the State to step up.

“Really push forward and passing sensible legislation to protect these places and to enforce,” said Lawrence. “There’s a lack of enforcement, we hear it all the time, and they really need to step up.”

Jones said they’re hoping to be out by 4 a.m. on Tuesday when it’s supposed to be high tide. The company will have to pay for the removal costs.

Maui County issued the following statement:

“In response to the increasing risk of damage to the reef and ecosystem at Honolua Bay, a marine sanctuary in West Maui, the County of Maui exercised its ability to issue an emergency Special Management Area permit that would allow equipment to access the site via the shoreline and assist in dislodging the vessel from the reef it is resting on and enable it to reach deeper water to exit the area. The emergency permit, authorized by Acting Planning Director Kathleen Ross Aoki was issued late this afternoon following discussions with West Maui Councilmember Tamara Paltin and the excavation company. This action comes after attempts during an afternoon high tide failed. The State must still issue a corresponding permit for the work that also involves DLNR jurisdiction beginning at the high water mark and into the ocean. We are pleased to be able to rapidly respond to a situation in dire need. The longer the vessel remains in the sensitive area the higher the risk of damage.”

Despite an offer from a private excavation company and an emergency permit provided by Maui County, the land department said it does not currently plan to issue a permit allowing an excavator to try and push the boat out from land.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright 2023 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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Courtesy of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources

The luxury yacht Nakoa sits on the reef near Honolua Bay on Maui after it ran aground on Monday.

HONOLUA BAY, Maui — A luxury yacht owner is responding to a wave of online criticism after his vessel grounded near a Maui marine sanctuary on Monday, potentially causing extensive environmental damage to the area.

On Feb. 20, Jim Jones, the owner of Noelani Yacht Charters, mistakenly landed his 94-foot yacht, named the Nakoa, at Honolua Bay in northwest Maui.

The incident has caused a stir online, with countless numbers of social media users expressing outrage over the “irreparable damage” to the reef and sea life.

“Well of course, the rich doing what they do best — polluting the earth,” wrote one person under a Hawai‘i News Now Instagram story on the yacht.

“How about banning touring companies, who can’t respect the Hawaiian culture and ecosystem?” wrote another commenter.

In a Feb. 22 phone interview with The Garden Island, Jones expressed disappointment over the “bad press” and “incorrect information” being circulated online.

“We’ve turned off all our social media,” he said. “It’s all negative. Me being a local Hawaiian, I expected more support,” adding that people have been putting his home address and pictures of his kids online.

“You’re complaining about it, come down and help us out,” he said of the critics. He noted that a handful of local people have been helpful in trying to free the yacht from the reef.

Jones explained that he was spending the day on the yacht with his family when its mooring line severed.

“We go there all the time, at least once a month,” he said, calling the incident a “freak accident” that happened while he and his family were under deck.

“It was at night and the wind was blowing, just happened to be blowing in that direction. It blew it right in there,” said Jones. “We didn’t have much time to react.”

According to a Feb. 21 press release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, it’s “likely to be another few days” before the yacht is freed.

“The yacht cannot be removed until all fuel, batteries and any other pollutants on board are removed,” the department said in the release, noting the process may involve a helicopter.

Additionally, Jones is responsible for providing “an acceptable salvage plan,” and will be responsible for all costs.

DLNR reported that “a sheen of diesel fuel was leaking from the boat’s hull and was visible in surrounding water.” The sheen is no longer visible, but the smell of fuel is still in the air, according to the release.

DLNR also said they completed an initial underwater assessment of the area and estimated that 30 coral and live rock have been damaged by the yacht. Divers will “need to return to do a more thorough assessment once the vessel is removed,” the department said.

“Based on those findings, the boat’s owner could face significant penalties as determined by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources.”

Jones emphasized that his company is “very environmentally conscious” and is committed to working with the community to remove the yacht and restore the reef area.

“We’re not running away from this. We’re not leaving this here and letting everybody deal with it,” he said.

“We’re gonna be here until the end and, hopefully, it’s all gonna work out.”

•••

Just like he was there “until the end” to finish the construction job he walked off of after taking all our money, leaving us with no roof, walls or interior living space?! Never coming back even after the DCCA required him to? Not the best track record to date….

“hopefully, It’s all gonna work out”… already too late! Shoulda drained the diesel on Monday when ran aground and taken all the batteries and toxic fluids off, why take 3 days????? diesel is forever for the ecosystem, look at valdez. we are all tired of toxic spills and apologies afterwards by rich people when they do forever damage. how bout dont moor overnight on a 2hr day use mooring… 2hrs in the daytime you would be awake and monitoring position. not sleeping and blaming it on the wind. shouldnt been there. maybe ever think that’s why the 2 hr day use is the rule for the mooring? its offshore a marine reserve, must stay vigilant. oh didnt’ know about the rule? should know if you are a “professional” yachter? ridiculous. guy should be in jail. no come back.

Maybe you people with your aloha spirits should get your butts down to the bay and help! Dont call him a HAOLE! He is hawaiian! Dont put pics of his kids and wife on social media and make threats to his family! This is the only state in the US where americans call other Americans names! Makes me sick. And to the guy who wrote that reply. Learn how to talk

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Yacht Fuel Spill In Maui’s Honolua Bay Prompts Calls For Reform

The grounding of the 94-foot luxury vessel has sparked calls to change the way commercial activity is handled in sensitive coastal waters.

It was about 6:30 in the morning when Paele Kiakona got the call from his father: A yacht was in trouble at Honolua Bay. 

The two fishermen decided to load up their Jet Skis, call friends with boats and head over to try to free the vessel. But by the time they got there later that morning, the tide was receding.

The 94-foot yacht was stuck on the reef, and no matter how hard they pulled, it wouldn’t budge. The men came back later to offer to help remove fuel from the boat, but were told to get out of the water and let the government handle it.

In the days since the Feb. 20 grounding, Kiakona’s worst fear came true : The yacht leaked diesel into the water flowing to one of Maui’s most beloved marine sanctuaries, making national headlines.

And because the owner of the 120-ton yacht, Jim Jones, said he wouldn’t pay it, the state has put up $460,000 to salvage the vessel, which drifted from an area where it should never have been moored overnight in the first place. 

“Everybody was mad, and all fingers were pointed at the captain and the owner of the boat,” said Kiakona. “But you know, if they were policed to begin with, this multi-million dollar mistake could have been avoided.”

The 120-ton boat is still stuck there. After crews spent hours Sunday trying to free the yacht, a tractor tug boat from Sause Brothers on Oahu joined the effort on Monday evening, turning it about 90 degrees.

But after an evening in the water with limited success, the contractor decided to head back to Oahu to resupply with a stronger rigging, according to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. In a news release just after 9 p.m. Monday, the agency said the effort, which also involves a salvage ship operated by Visionary Marine, would resume again on Wednesday at the earliest.

“That’s another big issue, is that when these things happen, especially with a vessel this large, we don’t have the resources here,” DLNR Deputy Director Laura Kaakua said during a weekend briefing on Maui.

As the attempts to remove the yacht continue, many of Maui’s elected officials and residents are now calling for widespread reforms in the way the government prevents and responds to shipwrecks in Hawaii’s coastal waters.

Some Maui residents are also asking whether boats — especially those making money off of tourists — even belong in marine conservation areas like Honolua Bay , which are set up to protect delicate ocean ecosystems from harm.

The way Kiakona sees it, the unchecked commercial activity threatens not only the health of the land and the ocean, but also Native Hawaiians like himself who rely on the natural environment.

“We just need a major shift in the status quo to not only protect (Honolua Bay), but to protect the people who are of this land,” Kiakona said.

Jones told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he was on a family outing and spent the night attached to a day-use mooring at Honolua Bay. He said he didn’t know that it was only allowed to be used for two hours at a time. But his line snapped early on the morning of Feb. 20, and before anyone noticed, the yacht drifted onto the reef.

The yacht is one of two that Jones has through his company, Noelani Yacht Charters, which sells tours from Maui starting around $9,800, according to its website . The company advertises tours to Honolua Bay.

In recent years, Jones has run into legal trouble and was sued twice for failing to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans he took out to buy a yacht, according to court records. Before that, he was sued by the state for working as an unlicensed contractor. Noelani Yacht Charters did not respond to a call requesting comment. 

DLNR is still investigating the incident and says it plans to send the bill to the yacht owner, who may face other fines for breaking boating laws and damaging the reef. The agency declined to comment on the pending investigation and wouldn’t say whether Jones had a valid insurance policy for the boat or if there was a licensed captain on board. It’s also unknown if the boat had proper equipment.

At first, Maui County on Feb. 20 tried to expedite any permits that might be needed to free the boat, but it isn’t in the county’s purview to excavate shipwrecks. In general, boat owners are responsible for recovering wrecked vessels, and DLNR can step in to remove them on the owner's dime.

But if government officials learn there might be hazardous materials threatening marine life -- like the Nakoa leaking diesel into Honolua Bay -- the U.S. Coast Guard steps in and takes over, using federal dollars to remove all harmful substances and objects like batteries and fuel.

Since 2019, there were 651 fuel spills in Hawaii marine waters that were reported to the state, according to the Department of Health. During that time period, the U.S. Coast Guard said it took control of the clean-up in three different instances, the most recent being Honolua Bay.

But it wasn’t until the fourth day after the vessel ran aground and the third day after the boat started leaking fuel that the Coast Guard’s hired contractor was able to start draining the diesel and hauling away batteries. Although some of that equipment is housed on Maui, much of it is stored on Oahu, so it took some time to ship it in.

There was a similar delay in starting the effort to then pull the boat off the reef after the hazardous materials were removed. That contractor had to travel from Oahu too.

“We don't have the resources for containment of spills, and those are issues that seriously need to be worked on sooner rather than later,” said West Maui Council member Tamara Paltin. “With climate change, weather events are getting more extreme, and we don't even have the capacity now.”

Before Paltin was a council member, she worked as a lifeguard. She and her colleagues would receive calls about shipwrecks -- including ones that were long abandoned in Maui’s coastal waters.

She recalled the sailboat that got stuck after it drifted onto the reef in front of Lahaina’s famous Front Street on Halloween night -- where it remained for eight years . Paltin said tourists would call emergency responders, thinking that the snorkelers around the boat were shipwreck victims.

In recent years, Maui has experienced more frequent Kona storms that sent boats aground in shallow waters. In Kihei, for example, a December 2021 Kona low pushed a sailboat all the way onto a popular beach, where it sat for five months until it was removed . In one recent storm alone, Paltin said, almost a half-dozen boats wrecked in West Maui after their mooring lines snapped. But there was never the same sense of urgency as now.

“Shipwrecking is a common thing in West Maui, and they're used to not getting responses -- especially after Kona storms,” Paltin said. “(Honolua Bay) is like the crown jewel of Maui, so obviously, it was a big, big deal.” 

In Paltin’s view, the best path forward involves working with communities to bring more oversight to Maui’s coastal waters.

More than a decade ago, there was a program that helped train citizens to watch over places like Honolua Bay in partnership with DLNR, but that fell by the wayside.

“If you're not going to have the capacity (to deal with boats) when they wreck, then where's the preventative?” Paltin said.

But paying for people to patrol the islands costs money, and DLNR receives 1% or less of the state’s operating budget. The department has also struggled for years to recruit officers to uphold conservation laws, though that aspect is improving.

In a statement, DLNR spokesperson Dan Dennison said the department will welcome 42 recruits who graduate from the training academy next month. Once they complete training, that will bring a "significantly increased conservation officer presence across the state," he said.

“We would love to have enough officers to patrol everywhere, but with 700 miles of shoreline in the state and millions of acres of land under DLNR jurisdiction, that of course is an impossibility,” Dennison said in an email. 

State Rep. Elle Cochran, whose district includes West Maui, has long fought to protect Honolua Bay. She said she understands that DLNR is stretched thin and that officials did everything they could to work quickly to remove the Nakoa and the threat it posed to the ocean. As soon as the boat ran aground, DLNR began working to hire contractors on an emergency basis to salvage the boat. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard hired a company that used a helicopter to fly 55-gallon drums of fuel from the boat’s stern to the point above the bay.

But Cochran said she also understands that many Maui residents felt like the response didn’t happen fast enough. She said she’s going to look into what it might take to purchase a towing vessel or have one on retainer so there aren’t delays in trying to find a contractor equipped to deal with grounded boats on Maui. 

"Every minute a boat is grounded, it's devastating to the ocean and environment," said Cochran. "We need to take care of it; time is of the essence."

Tiare Lawrence, who's long advocated for changes to marine management in Lahaina, said the government needs to overhaul the way it responds to grounded vessels. After almost every storm, she sees boats run aground, and each time, there isn't a clear process to handle them. In some cases, they stay there for months or years, even when residents complain to state officials.

The situation in Honolua also made it clear that waiting until after a boat has leaked fuel to get the Coast Guard involved isn't enough to protect Maui's coastal waters.

"The fuel and any other substances should automatically be removed -- that's the first thing," Lawrence said. "If a hull of a boat breaks, obviously you're opening up a can of worms."

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by grants from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation and the Fred Baldwin Memorial Foundation.

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Russia Maps Show 25% of Moscow Without Power Amid Winter Freeze 'Emergency'

R ussian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the nationalization of an ammunition plant in Moscow after a mechanical failure caused tens of thousands of Muscovites to lose heat and water amid freezing temperatures beginning last week.

On January 4, a heating main burst at the Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant in the town of Podolsk, which is around 30 miles south of central Moscow. Since then, tens of thousands of Russians are reported to have no heating in their homes in the Moscow region amid subzero temperatures.

Affected areas include the cities of Khimki, Balashikha, Lobnya, Lyubertsy, Podolsk, Chekhov, Naro-Fominsk, and Podolsk, a map published by a Russian Telegram channel and shared on other social media sites shows.

Other Russian media outlets reported that in Moscow, residents of Balashikha, Elektrostal, Solnechnogorsk, Dmitrov, Domodedovo, Troitsk, Taldom, Orekhovo-Zuyevo, Krasnogorsk, Pushkino, Ramenskoye, Voskresensk, Losino-Petrovsky, and Selyatino are also without power.

That means that in total, more than a quarter of Moscow's cities have been hit with power outages and a lack of heating.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment via email.

Many residents have taken to publishing video appeals on social media to complain about their freezing conditions. In one clip, people living in Moscow say that they are left with no choice but to warm their homes with gas stoves, heaters, and "whatever else we can find." Others said they are lighting fires in the streets to keep warm.

Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the Moscow region, announced on Tuesday that Putin ordered the ammunition plant to be nationalized because two of its owners have been "located abroad." He didn't name the individuals.

"We received the right to take control of this boiler house within the framework of an emergency," Vorobiev said, adding that the plant's boiler room was managed "very poorly" and there was "virtually no qualified competent personnel."

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over Klimovsk Specialized Ammunition Plant not meeting safety requirements.

On Tuesday, the committee said that because of the incident, the deputy head of Podolsk's administration, the head of the plant's boiler house, and the general director of the ammunition plant had been detained.

Residents of Selyatino have described the situation as "some kind of struggle for survival," Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported.

Power outages have also struck St. Petersburg, Rostov, Volgograd, Voronezh, Primorsky Territory, and Yekaterinburg.

Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via [email protected].

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