Feeling like we were about done with Lahaina (and spending money!) it was time to head towards the snorkelling haven of Molokini. It certainly lived up to it’s reputation! We also completely lucked out and had the bay to ourselves. As we approached the bay I started looking for a mooring ball to tie to – Yare had been searching for a bit when we pulled up. And just like that we drove right over one- I leapt into the crystal clear water and swam down the 15 feet to grab the tie line.  5 minutes later we were tied up, dinghy in the water and ready to go see some fish!

about a 5 foot reef shrk

 The water was so clear we could see the fish on the bottom 60 feet down. After we all had our fill of fishes (and even one good sized white tip reef shark) it was time to head to La Perouse for the night. La Perouse is gorgeous- formed by to chunks of lava rock on either end of the bay and a lush gree valley at the head it is the first anchorage where I appreciated the beauty. However there is nowhere to land our dinghy and the wind really whistled through there the next morning, so we headed to Makena beach for a quieter anchorage and a day at the beach. An hour or so later we dropped the hook in a patch of sand and enjoyed some decent snorkelling just off our stern. The Yare boys came over and the kids all played in the water and on the transom of Asunto. Things really got fun when Kolby brought up a bucket of sand from the bottom. The also got messy.

Maybe not the best idea in hind sight

That night Fynn was asleep early and I enjoyed a quiet moment at sunset with Bowen. We woke up to another tranquil Hawaiian morning and packed up for a day at the beach. Hanging out all day on the beach with Yare is pretty awesome. Basically Kolby digs a hole – this one was so huge that Fynn actually couldn’t get out by herself, the kids play while the adults watch. Kolby and I also have a chance to snorkel together to while Bowen naps-  heaven!

Fynn couldn’t climb out!

By about 2:30 we had our fill of sand, and started heading home. As we got closer we could see that the boats were really pitching and bobbing in the rollers that were coming into the bay. Asunto was a little more mellow, but Yare’s bow with gong up and down about 5 feet with every wave. We made the decision to head back to the protection of McGregors, about 8 nm away, for a decent nights sleep. It didn’t take us too ling to realize that this would be a far more ardourous journey than we expected. As we motored dead into the wind we watched the winds climb from 20 to 30 and eventually hitting 40 knots as we crossed the saddle – the valley between the the mounts on Maui- a place that is legendary for it’s high winds. Of course none of us remembered this when we hauled anchor for McGregors, but here we are, motoring at full rpm, pounding into short and steep waves, making about 3.6 knots of boat speed. We would frequently smash a wave so hard that our speed would drop to 1.5 knots. It was certainly intense. Kolby tried everything to make the trip more comfortable – but in the end he had to hand steer and manage the throttle and we occasionally need more throttle to push the boat over a wave without the wind turn us sideways. He was just soaked as waves smashed on deck and blew spray aft. Occasionally a wave would smash on the side of the hull and he would like the brunt of it in the face. I watched him from inside – that wild salty man driving his boat through a gale.

Down below things were drier (mostly) but maybe not more comfortable. Every hatch was snug closed and the engine had been running at full steam for about 2 hours. It was literally 100 degrees. The boats movements were so unpredictable the Fynn and I were confined to the settee and Bowen was strapped in his carseat secured under the nav table. I was incredibly grateful that he was happy in there as it would have been super chaotic helping Fynn while holding Bowen…. nursing him was chaotic enough!

Bowen’s hidey-hole

We rolled into the bay at dusk and gratefully dropped the hook. However the fishermen were non to thrilled about our arrival and had some choice words for us when they realized we weren’t going to leave on their behalf. They even went os far as the threaten to ‘f@cking kill us if they ever saw us on land’/ I envisioned us calling the police only to have them sympathize with the fishermen. Hawaiians take their fishing very seriously.  I can only hope that if they knew the hell that it was out there they would have been slightly more understanding… but maybe not. With both kids asleep I all but passed out on the bed.