Anchorage· Oahu· Hawaii
Maunalua Bay Anchorage (Hawaii Kai)
21° 16.8′ N · 157° 42.9′ W · approximate
The reef-protected water behind Koko Head at Hawaii Kai, which Coast Pilot calls one of the few anchorages on Oahu that shelters small craft in all weather except kona storms.
Practical
Approx position: inside the dredged reef channel between state-charted daybeacons G9 and R14; plot the actual spot on the chart. Coast Pilot 10: a channel marked by a light and private daybeacons leads through the reef on the west side of Koko Head to the private marina in Kuapa Pond and the public launch ramp; least depth 5 ft, shoaling to 3 ft on the east side of the entrance near daybeacon 2; depths of 13 ft behind the reefs, but only small craft familiar with the area should go in. Tidal currents flood west and ebb east, with slack near the times of high and low water at Honolulu. Permits: DOBOR states 'anchoring by permit only' at the Maunalua Bay facility; HAR 13-235-34 designates a small Maunalua Bay mooring area southwest of the Hawaii Kai bridge with no permanent moorings, at most 10 temporary permits of up to 30 days, and access only from Hawaii Kai Marina or the ramp. Shoal-draft boats only.
Best for
Shoal-draft shelter close to Hanauma Bay and Hawaii Kai shops
Season
Year-round for shoal draft; avoid in kona storms
Nearby
- Maunalua Bay Launch Ramp0.3 NM away
- Hawaii Kai Marina (Kuapa Pond)0.5 NM away
- Hawaii Kai Provisions (Safeway, Keahole St)0.5 NM away
- Koko Crater Reef Day-Use Moorings (Maunalua Bay)0.7 NM away
- Turtle Canyon (Maunalua Bay)0.8 NM away
- Oahu Humpback Whale Season1 NM away
- Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve1.2 NM away
- Spitting Caves and China Walls (Portlock)1.2 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).