Anchorage· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Nishimura Bay Anchorage
20° 11.4′ N · 155° 54.2′ W
The northernmost protected anchorage on the Big Island, a small sand-bottomed bay a few hundred yards north of Mahukona Harbor, and the best departure point for a trade-wind crossing of the Alenuihaha Channel to Maui.
Practical
Noodle's Notes GPS 20-11.37N 155-54.24W. Depth 15-40 ft, sand, good holding; expect to anchor in about 25 ft. Anchor as close in as possible, leaving swinging room for when the trades die at night. Recognise it by a fishing heiau on the hill on the north side, an old railroad retaining wall below it, and a park with a picnic shelter on the south hill. The Kohala Mountains do not fully block the trades: on windy days they come rushing downslope in the early afternoon and blow until about 8pm, and the author has seen well over 30 kt in the anchorage. He often sets two bow anchors about 60 degrees apart to stop the boat sailing around. No services ashore. Not a regulated area.
Best for
Staging for an early-morning Alenuihaha Channel crossing
Season
Summer months with no north swell