Hawaii taxpayers face costs for abandoned Ala Wai pirate boat

A 72-foot pirate-themed party boat, previously moored illegally in the Ala Wai boat harbor, has been impounded by the state and crushed at the Waiʻanae landfill. The vessel is part of a larger issue involving an estimated 375 wrecks and abandoned ships in state waters since 2002.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has spent $1.3 million since 2020 to impound and destroy boats abandoned in public harbors. Between 2002 and 2019, the department spent an estimated $2.2 million to salvage or remove 91 vessels. While the DLNR intends to attempt cost recovery from legal owners, a state audit released in February indicated that the department has a poor track record of recouping these expenses, describing collection efforts as “limited, almost non-existent.”

In response to the audit, the DLNR is exploring the use of a collections company to recover expenses, a move that would require coordination with the Department of the Attorney General. Currently, the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation is prioritizing public safety following several severe weather events this year.