Seaquel
Mike & Patti Salomon/
We moved to Hawaii from the San Francisco area in 1987. We planned to be land dwellers, living by the sea, not on it. We had lived aboard and cruised in California waters from the Sacramento Delta to San Diego on several boats, both sail and power.
It was not long before we succumbed to the call of the sea. We started looking for a project boat for something to do, nothing serious. We moved aboard in 1990!! After living aboard our "cozy" Rawson 30 for ten years, we moved up to our present boat, a Catalina 34 we purchased in 2001. We live aboard at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. Since we first saw the C34 at the Cow Palace in 1984 we knew "this is the boat for us". It had the living space we were looking for in the 33 to 35 ft. range.
We started to shop around, finding several boats that were acceptable but not "just right". When Apathy came up for sale that 20 yr. crush resurfaced. After a disappointing survey we almost pulled the offer, but love truly is blind. So we accepted the challenge, changed her name to Seaquel, and took on the project. The boat was very basic (no stove or curtains), the bottom was badly blistered and most systems needed overhauling. We just started at one end and worked our way to the other. Seems like a lot of work but after 5 yrs. we have a comfortable home which sails great and keeps Mike occupied with projects.
In Hawaii our cruising grounds have included Oahu, Hanalei Bay in Kauai, and Molokai. We enjoy the trips we take together with the Cruising Society members and look forward to many more. See you out there!
Matt came to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy Pilot stationed at NAS Barbers Point in 1964 and from the very first orientation flights along the shorelines of all the islands, was enchanted by the possibilities for cruising and fishing in Hawaii. Inter-island cruising did not become a reality until after Priscilla arrived and Matt and Priscilla were married in 1976. Our Best Man invited us to crew on a Yankee 41 Ketch from the Ala Wai to Lanai and Lahaina.
In those days we legally anchored in the middle of Hulopoe Bay (White Manele to some) Lanai, went snorkeling, spear fishing and BBQing on the beach. The second stop was off Mala Wharf at Lahaina and dinner at the old Chart House Restaurant a block up the road. We were hooked!
The following year we moved to Makani Kai Marina on Kaneohe Bay and got serious about boating. That included snorkeling, scuba and water skiing from our runabout, but also numerous sailing cruising experiences to Molokai and Maui with neighbors who were happy to have willing crew that did not easily suffer mal de mer. Priscilla, who didn't really learn to swim until after we were married, became Scuba qualified and, it turned out, has an iron stomach as well. We became familiar with Hale 'O Lono, Kaunakakai and, our favorite, Honolua Bay on Maui, as well as the North shore of Molokai and the Molokai Channel.
We enjoyed sailing, but Matt was convinced he wanted a trawler for inter-island cruising and fishing, and was determined to not burn through money keeping up an older or unsuitable boat. We were also constrained by the 38 foot size of our private boat slip. In January of 1993 we found ARIEL, a 1989 Grand Banks Europa 36 on the East coast of Florida. Although some consideration was given to trying to bring her at least part way to Hawaii on her own bottom, in the end we had her shipped via truck and barge to Honolulu. ARIEL came very well equipped, but over the years we have added outriggers and shotgun pole holders for fishing, double battery capacity, 2500 watt inverter/charger, microwave, watermaker, and sewage treatment, GPS plotter, and have enclosed the flybridge.
ARIEL has cruised to much of Maui County, The Kona Coast, Kauai, Ni'ihau, Kaula Rock and beyond, often with up to six adults for a week or more. For most of the last several years ARIEL has spent a good part of each summer on a mooring put down in Hanalei Bay, Kauai. Transits to and from Hanalei, Kaneohe, and Honolulu provide most of the fishing these days, but we look forward to joining some of the scheduled cruises with the HYC Cruising & Voyaging Society. Priscilla has done her share of gaffing Marlin and hauling in stern anchors, but now prefers to make her transits by air or auto if at all possible. She has not given up entertaining on ARIEL by any means. In fact we are likely to be found on board ARIEL at our slip in Makani Kai Marina when Happy Hour and dinner time roll around.
