Anchorage· Molokai· Hawaii
Kamalo Harbor Anchorage
21° 2.6′ N · 156° 52.5′ W · approximate
A narrow pocket in the reef at Molokai's southernmost point, about 150 yards wide and half a mile deep, with soft mud and no swell; the traditional small-craft refuge when a kona storm makes Kaunakakai untenable.
Practical
Coordinate is approx, placed inside the pocket just south of the old wharf ruins using the Coast Pilot description and OpenStreetMap coastline. Coast Pilot 10: entrance through a break in an outer reef (general depths 1 to 6 ft) with a least depth of 11 ft, lighted buoy off the entrance; reef edges inside are usually easy to see by day. Good protection from west to north winds; soft gray mud with good holding; swell not felt inside. Currents a mile off run about 1 knot. Coast Pilot says water, fuel and supplies are available in the village, but Kamalo today is a handful of houses: plan to be self-sufficient. Saint Joseph's Church, built by Father Damien in 1876, is a short walk up the highway near mile marker 11.
Best for
Kona-storm shelter and a quiet overnight off the East End
Season
Year-round; best refuge in konas