na hoku ii catamaran accident

Thirteen of 59 commercial sailing vessels operating in Hawai'i were found to have had mast problems, including corrosion, fractures and missing bolts, and were temporarily taken out of service after a round of inspections last summer, the Coast Guard recently revealed.

Most of the catamarans and trimarans with what the Coast Guard called "serious safety deficiencies" were repaired and returned to service, but two went back to sea on engine power alone minus their mast and sails, officials said.

The special inspections were ordered following two fatal catamaran accidents less than four months apart in Hawai'i and raise anew the issue of safety on the popular tourist boats.

The Coast Guard is finalizing investigations into the cause of mast-related failures on both of the catamarans.

The summer inspections were made in addition to annual safety inspections that are conducted by the Coast Guard, officials said.

A 65-foot mast came down on the Na Hoku II off Waikiki in December 2006, killing a 13-year-old boy, seriously injuring two women, and slightly injuring several other passengers.

A year ago this month, a 48-year-old father of three was struck and killed by a falling mast and rigging aboard the Kiele V off Maui. Two other passengers were injured.

"We stepped forward and worked with these commercial sailing vessels and came up with a better plan," Coast Guard Lt. John Titchen said of the safety inspections. "We didn't want to wait for the investigation. Nor did we want to wait for anything else to happen."

Titchen said the additional checks are "another layer of safety that we've added."

Asked about the safety of tourist catamarans here, Titchen said: "I think it's like everything else that you do — you have to be aware of the circumstances and the consequences and we hope that our sailing vessel operators out there are as safe as they possibly can be. We are going to give them the tools to do that."

BOATS CALLED SAFE

Tour operators say the catamarans are safe and are closely monitored by the Coast Guard. One raised concern about metal parts manufactured overseas that may be more prone to failure, though.

"The only thing I know about are the seven vessels on Waikiki Beach, and from what I know of every owner — and I know all the owners — everything is top notch," said Bob King, managing director for the 45-foot Outrigger catamaran.

King said he spent close to $200,000 last year on improvements, including replacing the "beams" on the former racing catamaran — the transverse struts that connect the pontoons.

The Outrigger was inspected by the Coast Guard no fewer than three times in 2007. King raised concern about the use of foreign-made metal parts on some boats.

"We don't use any foreign aluminum or metals on our boat whatsoever," King said. "What you have is a lot of aluminum or metals coming in from foreign countries, and when you have that happen, you don't have the same quality standards that you do in the U.S."

King said a friend with a sailboat had a failure of a Chinese-made shackle that caused the loss of his mast.

WEAR AND TEAR

Titchen said the 11 commercial catamarans found to have had "serious safety deficiencies" over the summer had masts that were still structurally sound, but to the point "where if it went unchecked, it could then down the line be a significant issue." The deficiencies were not abnormal given the wear and tear the boats experience, he said.

The two fatal accidents, meanwhile, "highlighted a need for further preventative action by boat owners and operators," he said.

The investigations by the Coast Guard into the two fatal accidents could lead to changes nationwide for commercial catamaran operators, Titchen said.

According to the Coast Guard, Hawai'i has the most tourist catamarans in the nation and its territories, followed by Puerto Rico with about 30.

About a dozen tourist sailboats operate in Gulf Coast states, an equal number are found on the east coast of Florida, and about a half-dozen ply the waters off California, the Coast Guard said.

Marine experts say mast-related failures on sailboats are nothing new; what was different in the 2006 and 2007 cases was that they caused fatalities.

Mike Doyle, a marine surveyor with 35 years of experience in Hawai'i, said he's aware of more than 200 "dismastings" involving monohull and catamaran sailboats here. Some of the masts were wood and most were aluminum, he said.

However, the Coast Guard said a check of its records showed no fatalities involving commercial catamarans in Hawai'i before the 2006 and 2007 cases.

Doyle said a piece of rigging sometimes fails and the mast cracks and falls overboard. But he believes the mast "step," or base, failed, and the mast jumped off the step during the two catamaran fatalities.

"I think what's happening on these catamarans is they are flexing more than people realize," Doyle said. "I think these problems, corrosion or some other problems developed, where the mast then was not properly supported."

Titchen said both masts in the fatal accidents were metal. King, on the Outrigger catamaran, said he uses a balsa and fiber mast, "so we don't deal with those corrosion issues."

EARLIER DEMASTINGS

The last serious demasting of a commercial catamaran before the two fatal accidents involved one of the same catamarans — the Kiele V, the Coast Guard said.

No one was injured in the two previous Kiele V demastings, one at sea in 1991, and one in dry dock in 1996, according to records.

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa operated the Kiele V. Chris Martello, a spokeswoman in California, said the catamaran no longer operates in Hawai'i.

The owner of the Na Hoku II, which did return to business, could not be reached for comment.

According to the Coast Guard, of the 59 commercial catamarans and trimarans operating in Hawai'i, 16 are based out of O'ahu, 21 out of Maui, 12 out of Kaua'i and 10 out of the Big Island.

The Coast Guard's Titchen said most investigations are completed within a year to a year and a half. It's now been 15 months since the Na Hoku II accident.

The Coast Guard is very deliberate with the results because "a 20- or 30-page document could change the law in terms of how these vessels operate," he said.

King, who operates the Outrigger, said the Coast Guard cracked down on safety after the two fatalities. "We felt it. Everybody did," he said.

"There's a lot of safety down here. None of us want to see somebody get hurt," King added. "Safety is first and foremost. Not only do we not want to hurt somebody, but we don't have a business if we do something that is going to endanger somebody's life."

Reach William Cole at [email protected] .

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Advertiser Staff Writer '); document.write(''); document.write(''); document.write(''); document.write(''); document.write(''); document.write(' Latest headlines by topic: '); document.write(' '); for( i = 0; i '); } document.write(' Powered by The commercial tour catamaran involved in an accident that killed a 13-year-old boy Friday had been cited for numerous safety violations in its most recent inspection but corrected them immediately and had a valid certificate to operate at the time of the accident, according to Coast Guard records. Coast Guard and state officials yesterday were continuing to investigate the safety records and condition of Na Hoku II, whose metal mast snapped off Waikiki on Friday, pinning the boy and injuring two women. The Honolulu Medical Examiner's office yesterday identified the dead boy as Jordan Loser, 13, of Riverside, Calif., who was visiting the state with his parents as part of a tour group. Na Hoku II was towed to a fuel pier at Ala Wai Harbor, where investigators were checking for structural, engineering and navigational problems, as well as looking at past safety inspection records, said Coast Guard spokesman Michael De Nyse. The Coast Guard's Maritime Information Exchange database shows that Na Hoku II was last inspected May 23 and 24. Officials cited a long list of minor problems, but none appeared related to the mast that failed on Friday. Among the problems noted in the inspection report were poor sail winch mounting bolts, improper maintenance of the navigation, stability and lighting systems, improperly installed lifebuoys, and operating without a valid certificate of inspection. Most of the violations were immediately corrected at the time of the inspection, and on May 24, the Coast Guard issued the 14-ton Na Hoku II a new certificate of inspection that will not expire until 2011. Peter Young, chairman of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said state and Coast Guard officials were cooperating in the investigation. He said the state also would start its own investigation. Since Na Hoku II is a passenger vessel under Coast Guard jurisdiction, the state had not conducted its own inspection of the ship before Friday's accident, he said. Young said Friday's accident was the first one in his memory in which someone had been killed by a broken mast in Hawai'i waters. "We will also follow up from our side to look at how we can continue to keep recreational boating safe," he said. The accident occurred about 4:20 Friday afternoon while Na Hoku II was about three-quarters of a mile off the Elks Club, according to the Honolulu Fire Department. Northeast winds were in the 17- to 21-mph range. Federal records also show that there were only seven boating fatalities in Hawai'i in the past five years. Five of those deaths came in 2005, according to U.S. Department of Transportation databases. Reach Mike Leidemann at [email protected] . National Partners: Apartments.com CareerBuilder.com Homefinder.com ShopLocal.com Metromix.com eHarmony.com USA Weekend Local partners: 101 Things to Do Around Hawaii Hawaii Stream HawaiiNewsNow Hawaiian105.com Hawaii.com Magazine Hawaii.com Store Local news | My Advertiser | Island Life | Multimedia | Blogs/Forums | Classifieds | Terms of service | Privacy policy | Contact us | Work for us | Gannett Foundation | Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2009. Waikiki Catamaran Had Troubled Past by: Stephen Florino WAIKIKI (KHNL) - According to the Coast Guard, the Na Hoku II was involved in seven different incidents in the past 18-months. A 13-year old boy was killed on the catamaran Friday afternoon, when the mast broke in half and landed on him. Two women were hurt, one of them critically. The crew was given drug and alcohol tests, just like after any type of incident like this. Investigators are checking the safety equipment, alarm indicators, and water systems, all to find out what went wrong. Yellow tape wraps around the Na Hoku II. Her massive 65-foot tall mast is now about half as high. It's just one sign of the tragedy that happened on board. Krash Nishimura is a skipper on another boat, but worked on Na Hoku for 16-years. "It does happen and even on the lightest wind days," said Nishimura. "It's nothing, bad seamanship or anything, because this operation, the Na Hoku, has been in operation since 1970." But it has problems. The Coast Guard says the Na Hoku II was recently involved in numerous incidents ranging from hull examinations, to what's called "maritime casualty." That can range from the catamaran hitting another vessel, hitting a whale, to someone dying on board. State officials say records show the catamaran was last inspected in may, and everything is current. "We will continue to conduct, update our records, work with boaters throughout the state, to make sure they are compliant and safe," said Peter Young, chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The Coast Guard is leading the investigation, with the state's support. The state DLNR is also conducting its own investigation. For now, the Na Hoku II will remain locked up until the investigation is completed. The victim has been identified as 13-year old Jordan Loser of California. The cause of death has not yet been determined. Gilma downgraded to tropical storm while Hone continues track away from Hawaii ‘Pretty scary’: Tropical Storm Hone lashes parts of Hawaii Island as a Cat 1 hurricane Sister pleads for answers after brother found stabbed to death near Honolulu’s airport Circumstances around death of young Deputy Sheriff under investigation This young boy from Hawaii enters prestigious Mensa Society for intellectuals Public help sought in locating 2 missing persons in separate cases Hone brings toppled trees, raging rivers to Maui Low morale, poor communication among complaints by HPD officers in internal survey PLEASE NOTE: We operate RAIN or SHINE. Waikiki Catamaran Charters 239 IMAGES Deadly Catamaran Accident Off Waikiki Na Hoku II Catamaran Waikiki July 26, 2008 Part 2 NA HOKU II CATAMARAN (Honolulu) Na Hoku II Catamaran (Honolulu) Na Hoku II Catamaran Na Hoku II COMMENTS 'Insane': 6 injured after large waves batter catamaran in waters off HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Six people were injured, including one seriously, when huge waves battered a catamaran carrying 30 people off Waikiki Beach, officials said on Saturday. Honolulu ... Deadly Catamaran Accident Off Waikiki Deadly Catamaran Accident Off Waikiki. This was scene off Waikiki late Friday afternoon shortly after the mast of the Na Hoku II snapped, killing a California teen and injuring two adults. Olivia ... Pictures of the Fatal Sailboat Accident (KHNL) These pictures of the Na Hoku II , a Waikiki tour catamaran, were taken moments after the mast snapped in half. A teenage boy was crushed to death by the mast. Two adults were injured. Multiple injured after large waves crash into catamaran in Waikiki A fun catamaran ride turned into chaos after an encounter with a dangerous set of waves in the Ala Moana area.Hawaii News, Hawaii Weather, Hawaii SportsSee m... Big surf batters tour catamaran, leaving 5 injured A spokesperson for Na Hoku II, which operates the Na Hoku III catamaran that was involved in the incident, declined to comment. Multiple injured after large waves crash into catamaran in Waikiki HONOLULU (KHON2) — A fun catamaran ride turned into chaos after an encounter with a dangerous set of waves in the Ala Moana area. Wreckage of Maui tour boat found; one tourist died in sinking In December, 13-year-old Jordan James Loser of Riverside, Calif., was killed when the 65-foot mast of the tour catamaran Na Hoku II snapped in brisk winds off Waikiki, pinning him. Na Hoku 2 & Na Hoku 3 Catamarans Come sailing on our 45 foot catamaran for booze cruises and sailing tours in Waikiki, HI. Enjoy a Waikiki sunset cruise, or diamond head sail. Book now! starbulletin.com The mast of the 45-foot Na Hoku II cracked and fell on deck, pinning the boy and injuring the 41-year-old woman, according to investigators. Police said the two are from California, according to police. starbulletin.com The catamaran Na Hoku II's mast snapped Friday, killing a boy, 13, and sending two women to the hospital with injuries. Citations for the boat this year note "wasted sail winch mountings," improper installation of life buoys, and life jackets not in serviceable condition, records state. Catamaran's mast snaps; boy killed The third victim, a 41-year-old woman, was brought to shore on the catamaran, Na Hoku II, which had to be towed by a U.S. Coast Guard boat. She was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital in serious condition. Coast Guard releases final investigations of fatal Hawaii catamaran HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard has released a Report of Investigation for each of two fatal catamaran cases that occurred less than four months apart two years ago in Hawaii waters. A 13-year-old male passenger died aboard the Na Hoku II off Diamond Head Dec. 1, 2006, and a 48-year-old male passenger died aboard […] Coast Guard Report Blames Death Of Teen In 2006 On Unauthorized On December 1, 2006 the mast of the catamaran Na Hoku II buckled in three places, struck the head of Jordan Loser of Riverside, California and pinned him face-down on the cabin top. Jordan died as a result of the injuries. The boat was returning to Waikiki about 4:30 p.m. after a trip to Mamala Bay. The cause of the mast failure was unauthorized modifications made to the mast beginning in 2000 ... Fatal catamaran accident reports released The Coast Guard has released a Report of Investigation for each of two fatal catamaran cases that occurred less than four months apart two years ago in Hawaii. Skip to main content. Digital Boat Show. Under 40' Vessels 40'-80' Yachts (80FT+) Design. Brokerage. Accessories & Components Tent. Boater's University. Marine Services. News. Mast problems found on 13 boats A 65-foot mast came down on the Na Hoku II off Waikiki in December 2006, killing a 13-year-old boy, seriously injuring two women, and slightly injuring several other passengers. Catamaran had fixed cited safety violations The accident occurred about 4:20 Friday afternoon while Na Hoku II was about three-quarters of a mile off the Elks Club, according to the Honolulu Fire Department. Sunset Sail Embark on a serene Sunset Sail aboard the Na Hoku 2 Catamaran. Reserve your spot now for an enchanting evening on the waves. FAQ Find your answers about our booze cruises and sailing tours on the Big Yellow Catamaran in Waikiki. Hawaii News Now Sunrise at 8:00 a.m Six people were injured Saturday when huge waves battered a catamaran carrying off Waikiki Beach, Honolulu EMS officials said. Waikiki Sunset Sail Sail into the sunset with this Waikiki adventure cruise! Come enjoy a perfect sea breeze and a Maitai while shaking your hips to great music. Drinks are complimentary! Waikiki Catamaran Had Troubled Past The Coast Guard says the Na Hoku II was recently involved in numerous incidents ranging from hull examinations, to what's called "maritime casualty." That can range from the catamaran hitting ... South Shore Sail! (HARBOR) Join Na Hoku II Catamaran for a fun 90 minute happy hour sail! Sail with us through the gorgeous waves off of the South Shore of Honolulu! Book Now! 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