The Keola sailboat went aground in late December 2020 due to strong winds. It was extricated fairly quickly that morning. I could not see and document the damage to the coral until a few days later, on December 28, 2020. This grounding is the fifth on this small reef. The break wall stopped the boat. On its way across the reef, it probably did more damage than all the previous four groundings by the Hulakai (as recent as a month earlier). Keola’s keel traveled across the shallow reef and left a path of shattered coral like a gravel driveway. The boat broadsided onto the break wall and crushed more coral as the wind moved it forward and backward.
I called DAR/DLNR to report the grounding. DOT and Harbor Master did not call to report the incident.
Here are the images of the extent of damage to the coral reef.
