On or about Sunday April 8, 2012 Maui Canoe Club’s sailing canoe (OC-6 Hoku Holo O Ke Kai) was pushed into the waters of Kaleia Beach along with its Bigfoot trolley.
MISSING Mast – Some on Easter Sunday set Maui Canoe Club's sailing canoe adrift. (Michael Elam Photo)
Our canoe was found on the beach near the Whale Sanctuary – undamaged, Bigfoot and all. Maui PD is investigating.
However the mast was stolen. The mast is 12 feet in length – fabricated (laminated) from 5 Hemlock kiln dried planks. The mast is tapered from 5 1/2 inches at the base 1 1/2 inches towards the mast head. There is a single block bolted to the port side used for the halyard. The whole wood structure is finished with 2 coats of Tung oil and 10 coats of spar varnish.
Stolen with the mast was a Kevlar halyard and 40 feet of kevlar used to lash the mast to the wae.
All of our canoes live on the beach and are culturally significant; especially our sailing canoe with its crab claw rig.
We would like our mast returned and we would like our canoes to be left in peace on their beach on North Kihei Road between Ma’alaea and North Kihei.
The public is requested to forward any information regarding our missing-in-action mast to Maui PD or by email via the club website at http://www.mauicanoeclub.org.
