Sandbar Beach Day

In Ke‘ehi Lagoon, there are a few sand bars big enough to land a small boat and walk on it during low tide. As was the case with this family one morning. The rocky shoreline in the background is the "Reef Runway" of the Daniel K Inouye International Airport.

Cable Snag

An FA-18F Super Hornet from the US Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron 2 (VFA-2) "Bounty Hunters" is stopped by an arresting cable after landing on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). This photo was taken during an embark tour for the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 military exercise. A group of media spent the day at sea, about 100 miles south of Waikīkī, touring the aircraft carrier and its operations. It was an amazing experience to witness catapult launches and arrester hook recoveries up close, along with riding on an MV-22B Osprey to and from land. The 2026 iteration of RIMPAC is currently in progress.

River Ride

Paddling a kayak down the ʻAnahulu River in Haleʻiwa. The river is a tributary from the Koʻolau Mountains, and flows into the Pacific Ocean in near the Haleʻiwa Boat Harbor. The famed Haleʻiwa Bridge, or more commonly known as the Rainbow Bridge is ahead. I paddled under the bridge to the ocean and turned back up the river.

Wadaiko

This set of wadaiko, or Japanese drums, were on the JS Kunisaki (LST-4003) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The landing craft ship was one of two ships in Hawai‘i for the 2024 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises. The wadaiko are used by the ship's crew for ceremonial events.

USNS Matthew Perry

The US Navy Supply Ship Matthew Perry (T-AKE-9) makes its way to Joint Base Pearl Harbor - Hickam, escorted by a fast boat of the CNIC in Māmala Bay. This massive supply ship named after Commodore Matthew Perry, not the late actor, delivers supplies to carrier battle groups at sea. The USNS Matthew Perry is assigned to the Military Sealift Command.

Patrol Boat

A US Navy Police boat from the CNIC (Commander, Naval Installations Command) patrols the the entrance to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam at the mouth of the harbor at Māmala Bay.

Ocean View

The view of ocean fronting the Elks Lodge 616 along Waikīkī's "Gold Coast", as well as Waikīkī, metro Honolulu, and Waiʻanae Mountains.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Paying Tribute

The USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) pays tribute to the USS Missouri (BB-63), USS Arizona (BB-39) Memorial, and the memorials of the other ships sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The guided missile destroyer was returning from deployment, and took part in the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.

DDG-112 was named after US Navy Lieutenant Michael P Murphy was a SEAL Team special operator who posthumously earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in Operation Red Wings, where he and two other SEALs were killed in action in Afghanistan.

Run Aground

Apparently, this sailboat, "Dolphin", got loose from its mooring after some severe weather, and ran aground along the banks of Ke‘ehi Lagoon. It was there for a few weeks before it was removed.

Marina Dusk

Dusk approaches at the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. Hundreds of small boats are moored at this marina, at the west edge of Waikīkī.

Classy Bum Too

The parasailing boat "Classy Bum Too" returns to Kewalo Harbor.

Fishing Boat

Our theme week for February is the "Honolulu Fish Auction". In the pre-dawn hours on Honolulu Harbor's Pier 38, the United Fishing Agency hosts the only fish auction between Tokyo and Maine. Fishing boats unload their catch  in nearby mooring spots, like the "Lady Anna" above, and are taken into the auction, where their catch is weighed and tagged.

Honolua Boat

This boat sits in Honolua Bay while its occupants go snorkeling.

Battleship BB39

A group from Arizona made this giant scale model of the USS Arizona, Battleship BB39, as it looked like before the fateful day. They brought the model to Pearl Harbor to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Churning Water

Churning water formed from the propellors of the Navatek's engines.

Anchor

The anchor of the Navatek tucked into the hull, as we race along the Pacific Ocean at 35 knots at sunset.

Sailing Away

Aboard the Navatek as it motors out of Honolulu Harbor. Our church had an appreciation dinner aboard the boat for the church's staff. In the distance is the downtown skyline, and the Ko‘olau Mountains.

Big Guns

Today is Armed Forces Day! Thank you to all of our military personnel serving our country, to those who have served, and to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. In fact, the entire month of May is Armed Forces Month.

The battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) features nine 16-inch guns capable of launching a 2,700-lb armor-piercing artillery shell about 20 miles. Anecdotally, a math teacher once put it: it could shoot my Volkswagen Beetle from Pearl Harbor to Wai‘anae, and wipeout a city block. Pictured above, is the aft turret of three 16-inch cannons, which photographed during a video shoot on the fantail of the "Mighty Mo".

The de-comissioned battleship is now a floating museum and memorial moored at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. Sadly, World War II naval veteran Harold Estes, who was the driving force to have the USS Missouri docked here, passed away on the 17th.

Tsunami Damaged

Several boats and piers in O‘ahu's Ke‘ehi Lagoon were damaged as a result of this past Friday's tsunami triggered by the M9.0 earthquake in Japan's Tōhoku Region. Though the surge on O‘ahu did not reach the forecasted six feet, it was enough to dislodge piers and boats, and moved them throughout the lagoon. Another several boats even sank because of collisions. According to reports nine of the ten small boat harbors across the Hawaiian Islands suffered damage to some extent. The state is trying to assess the dollar amount the damage caused.

Today's photo shows one of the damaged sailboats listing to its port side, that are being worked on. I took this photo from Ke‘ehi Park yesterday.

Ocean Sports Tour

A shuttle boat full of Japanese tourists return to He‘eia Kea Boat Harbor after a morning of ocean sports activities on Kāne‘ohe Bay.