Sailing 101: The Sailing Club at Hilo, Na Hoa Holomoku of Hawai‘i

There is nothing like being out on the bay in Hilo, especially on a sunny and windy day, one perfect for those who enjoy sailing these deep blue waters. You can expect an ever-changing pattern of cloudy skies and rain, and then, suddenly, beautiful blue skies with rainbows trailing in the distance. The constant variety in the weather can make sailing on the bay an exhilarating and fun experience.

An important feature of Hilo Bay that is advantageous for sailing is the breakwall that protects the entire bay from major swells. This makes it a great venue for beginners and more experienced sailors to train and to be able to enjoy the ocean within a safer environment. Combining this pleasant bay with exceptional views of downtown Hilo, the gorgeous Hamakua coastline and the majestic views of both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in the background, there is no other word short of breathtaking that comes to mind.

The sailing club at Hilo, Na Hoa Holomoku of Hawai‘i, has been actively promoting all forms of boating in East Hawai‘i for the past decade. October marked its tenth year of commitment and active contribution to the community.

The club participates in many local boating activities and collaborates with the University of Hawai‘i, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Hilo Yacht Club in offering classes, sailing on the bay and other demonstrations to the public. Each month on the first Sunday, the sailing club offers free sailing lessons to the public. It is a great opportunity to meet other boaters with a feeling of camaraderie and sharing of enthusiasm about sailing. People are generous about offering useful sailing tips or instructive suggestions.

One of these gregarious sailors is John Olson, an instructor who has been teaching the club’s Sailing 101 classes for more than nine years. John’s love of sailing and teaching is apparent, and he takes the time to explain the basic concepts of sailing, including how to tie those crazy boat knots. It takes some practice to learn each particular knot used on the Sunfish to tie down specific lines. In just one relatively short session, John quickly covers how to rig a boat, sailing terminology, rudimentary safety issues, and the basic concepts of sailing the Sunfish in this bay. This includes how to situate your sail to harness the wind and sail to a particular destination, how to tack or turn your boat, and other operational maneuvers to safely handle the sailboat.

“Now, before we let you go off on your own into the water,” John says, “you will have to learn the process of righting your boat, just in case you capsize your Sunfish.” Once each beginner gets on his boat, it is immediately capsized in shallow water by some of the club members. Students are instructed how to safely swim around the boat, step on the rudder, pull the boat or “right” it correctly back into place, and how to climb back onboard safely. It’s a jarring first experience of being capsized, but it’s also an important lesson to learn, because eventually everyone ends up falling into the water or accidentally capsizing the boat. Safety is a key factor for the sailing club and all the members help the beginners, look out for problems and use the club’s powerboat to monitor any situation that occurs during these events.

A recent sailing day/sailing class, co-sponsored with the University of Hawai‘i Sailing Club and Na Hoa Holomoku, brought in more than 60 participants and was fun for both club members and beginners. All of the Sunfishes were used for the training classes, and larger, F-J boats and Hobie catamarans were available for the participants as well. Manned by more experienced club members, they allowed beginners to enjoy the ride and see how the larger boats differ in performance from the smaller ones.

During the day, Dave Parlow, the vice commodore of the sailing club, gave students free tours on the club’s Hobie catamaran, one of two, 16-foot sailboats the club owns. Dave mentioned that members are welcome to use all the boats, including two 26-foot sloops, a 22-foot catamaran, and one 19-foot sloop, with further training and supervision, but that each member must pass a series of exams in order to use the boats solo.

Those who are inclined to learn more and hone in on their sailing skills can take any of the classes that Na Hoa Holomoku offers jointly with the University of Hawai‘i at its campus. See their website below for the current class schedule, calendar of events and other sponsored activities, including one day each month when members contribute back by helping to clean and to do maintenance work on the boats. Club membership is very reasonable for single or family memberships. “Basically the dues cover the costs of maintenance of the club’s boats and our organizational costs,” says Dave Parlow. “We keep the dues to a minimum so everyone can join.”

Sailing excursions on even larger sailboats are offered by Dan Lappala of Hawai‘i Sailing Tours, also based in Hilo. “Captain Dan,” as everyone calls him, offers customized sailing tours and hands-on training on his 33-foot Hunter sloop. Dan is very personable and has a nice instructional style that puts you at ease when you are handling a boat this size. You get to learn all the key elements to working this sloop from rigging, to lifting the sails, and then mastering different sailing techniques on a larger boat. Embarking on his tours is quite interesting since there are no docks on Reeds Bay, where the boat is anchored. Dan will take you out to the boat via rowboat from the shore, making this a unique and fun way get to the sloop and climbing on board.

Sailing in the calm waters of Hilo Bay or even outside the breakwater into the high seas along the Hamakua Coast is a real adventure on this beautiful sloop. Dan gives a lot of interesting details, stories about the history of this area, the various tropical plants and trees, the sugarcane era, the railroads and shipwrecks along the coastline. You might even sight a whale or two.

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Find out more about Na Hoa Holomoku of Hawai‘i Yacht Club.

Contact Captain Dan

Along the Kona Coast, visitors and kama‘aina are invited to join Aloha Sailing Club, which teaches three levels of lessons: Basic Sailing, Day Sailing Skipper, and Coastal Cruising. 808.325.5529