Permit· Molokini· Hawaii
Molokini Day-Use Moorings and Anchoring Ban
20° 38.0′ N · 156° 29.8′ W
The state's 26 day-use mooring buoys strung around the inside of Molokini's crescent are the only legal way to stop a boat at the crater; anchoring anywhere in the mooring area is banned to protect the reef.
Practical
Position is buoy Molokini-K (20°37.962'N 156°29.769'W) from the DLNR DOBOR day-use mooring list; buoys A to Z run from 20°38.041'N 156°29.653'W (A) around to 20°38.094'N 156°29.849'W (Y and Z). Under HAR 13-257 (amended March 15, 2024): no permit is needed for a recreational boat to use a state buoy; maximum 2.5 hours; overnight mooring prohibited; recreational vessels have exclusive use of buoys marked with a surface float and may use vacant commercial buoys except 7:30 am to 9:30 am; first come, first served; no rafting; slow-no-wake inside the mooring area; anchoring prohibited within the Molokini day-use mooring area and, statewide, within 100 yards of any state day-use buoy. Commercial users need an MLCD use permit and paid $200 per month per the 2024 rule. The 2024 package removed separate mooring zones around the islet, so check the current DLNR list of sanctioned buoys before you go. Tour boats arrive in numbers from about 7:00 am; arrive at first light for a free buoy.
Best for
Knowing the rules before you pick up a Molokini buoy
Nearby
- Molokini Crater Marine Life Conservation District0.1 NM away
- Molokini Inner Crater Reef (Enenue)0.1 NM away
- Molokini Backwall0.2 NM away
- Puu Olai Reef Dive (Makena)2.5 NM away
- Puu Olai Cinder Cone Hike2.6 NM away
- South Maui Kona Storm and South Swell Exposure2.6 NM away
- Makena Anchorage (Nahuna Point)2.7 NM away
- Big Beach (Makena State Park)2.8 NM away