Anchorage· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Mahukona Anchorage
20° 11.0′ N · 155° 54.4′ W
The charted anchorage off the old Mahukona sugar landing, a sand-and-coral roadstead 6 nm southwest of Upolu Point that, with Nishimura Bay next door, is the last stop before the Alenuihaha Channel.
Practical
Coordinate is the NOAA-chart anchorage point in the state's Anchorages GIS layer. Coast Pilot (October 2026): anchor 0.2 mile southwest of Makaohule Point in 10 to 15 fathoms (60-90 ft), sand and coral; an anchorage with less wind is 0.3 mile northwest of the point about 400 yards off the beach. Strong offshore winds with violent gusts from varying directions are frequent in normal northeast trades, so lay plenty of scope and have a second anchor ready. The inshore current usually sets north; measured drifts were about 0.2 kt with up to nearly 1 kt either way. Mahukona is the one west-coast spot where the regular sea-breeze pattern does not hold. Small-boat landing only at the head of the bight. For shallower water and sand, Noodle's Notes prefers Nishimura Bay a few hundred yards north.
Best for
Deep-water staging anchorage for the Alenuihaha crossing
Season
Summer; exposed in kona weather and north swell
Nearby
- Mahukona Harbor0.2 NM away
- Nishimura Bay Anchorage0.4 NM away
- Big Island Humpback Whale Season1.1 NM away
- Lapakahi State Historical Park1.3 NM away
- Upolu Point5.9 NM away
- Kohala Coast Dive Moorings (Puako to Black Point)7 NM away
- Kawaihae Marketplace and Da Fish House9.7 NM away
- Kohala Burger & Taco (Kawaihae)9.7 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).