This afternoon, following a huge breakfast and a leisurely few hours on the beach, we packed up and headed for Port Allen to board the Southern Star and sail out to the Na Pali coast of Kauai on a sunset dinner cruise. We chose Captain Andy’s for this adventure based on the reviews and that they actually cook their meals on the boats. Plus they are the only ones who use true luxury sailing vessels instead of reengineered catamarans. They use 65′ luxury cats which are built for open ocean travel. They are quite impressive.
As we were boarding the Southern Star we heard the weather report of almost completely clear skies, light to moderate winds, and 1′ to 2′ swells. Certainly an easy can calm day for a sail. Since we would be fighting the trade winds as we ventured up the windward side of the island for the first half of the trip, we were under power rather than sail. Which was completely fine. The kids lounged in the net and got soaked, toured the helm, and enjoyed a drink in the sun.
Once we turned north to run up the coastline to Na Pali, things changed a little. We crossed from shallows to deeper water, the wind picked up, and the swells changed to up to about 3′. Still not bad, but it changed the dynamic of the trip slightly. Rylie decided to take a nap, and basically was out for the rest of the trip. Not a big deal, she really only slept through about 3 hours of the 4 hour cruise.
As soon as the whitecaps became prevalent, people started feeling ill. First came Jamie, then Michelle, and then an older gentleman made a decorating change inside the main cabin. Much to Michelle’s credit, she never called Ralph on the big white phone, drove the porcelain bus, did the technicolor yawn, or you know, threw up. Chloe, the one we were so worried about, was totally fine. She was tired, and slept for a decent amount of the cruise as well, but honestly, the motion of the boat could’ve put me to sleep too.
While the boat handled everything well, and the crew was doing a truly commendable job helping people, a few people were bound to not enjoy the remaining 3 hours.
I sat with Michelle and the kids while the slept/considered the most efficient way to use a barf bag, but I was able to see what was going on around us. I have never seen anything like this. The pictures are breathtaking, but they don’t capture the true magnitude and texture of the cliffs.
The Na Pali coast rises out of the Pacific on the Western side of Kauai like an impenetrable wall. The cliffs are thousands of feet of volcanic rock which are as menacing as they are gorgeous. They have been shaped by geologic activity and extreme surf (up to 50′ seas are common in winter) crashing into the brittle volcanic rock.
My absolute favorite picture from the trip.
There were places which have rich cinematographic (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and the unforgettable – try as you might – Anne Heche and Harrison Ford classic Six Days Seven Nights) and cultural histories. One area housed a cave where Hawaiian warriors would swim in to show their bravery (it looked incredibly dangerous) and then would climb part way up the cliff to jump into the ocean and wrestle a tiger shark (which just sounds silly to me).
After turning around and raising sail, the ride smoothed out a little as we rode the swells and the wind which had been battling us. Even with a reef taken in on the sail, the boat was quiet, and it was a fantastic experience. Then the sails began to luff, and the jib was pulled signaling that we weren’t in enough wind, and sure enough we ended up back under power. Don’t get me wrong, that was fine, but it was very bumpy because we were now using an external force for propulsion. There is something about the harmony of the waves and the wind moving you that keeps traveling calm and comfortable. Disrupt that balance and your stomach can pay.
Michelle continued to feel sick, afterwards saying that she wanted to wrestle a tiger shark just to get off the boat, and the kids kept sleeping. I had a huge grin on my face and took it all in.
As the sun set, the boat got quiet as people scrambled for pictures and it was truly an amazing moment.
Finally, about 20 minutes before reaching port I saw a pod of dolphins run straight toward our port bow, and I called out so others could see. They put on an amazing show in low light making pictures virtually impossible, but they provided a fitting cap on a tremendous experience. They were the first we had seen of the trip, and since they typically don’t make appearances on evening cruises, we were quite fortunate.
The day and the event was amazing. Even after feeling ill, Michelle said she doesn’t regret the decision to go. However, she is wondering if the snorkeling trip we have planned for next week on Maui is a good idea…
For anyone going to Kauai, this trip is an absolute must.
The Life and Times... 