Lahaina, Maui: from Whalers to Jet Boats

Hawaiian Adventure Part 1

An 1840s whaling ship

Nearly two centuries ago, wooden sailing ships crewed by hardened men and captained by ruthless skippers plied the waters off Lahaina, Maui headed for port and pursuit of Polynesian women, drink, gambling, and relaxation after months at sea. They were whalers, focused on the tough grisly job of hunting and killing whales and then harvesting them for oil that heated and lit homes, and whale bones for corsets, skirt hoops and buggy whips. They worked the South Pacific, Sea of Japan and even the Arctic and then headed to Lahaina twice a year to re-provision and raise some hell.

Their thirst for rowdy recreation led to conflicts with the missionary leaders of Lahaina who were anxious to impose some degree of law and order on the visiting crews. In the 1840s, the captain and crew of a ship called the John Palmer went as far as to lob cannonballs at the home of Reverend William Richards to express their dismay over the rules that crimped their style.

Insane Jet Boat executes a crash stop

Today, a different kind of seaman works the Maui waters, men like Captain Dan who offers “insane” jet boat rides to a drastically different clientele than the whalers of old—tourists who wander the beaches of paradise in search of thrills.

On a recent hot windy day on Maui, customers willing to fork over $82 each gathered under a brightly colored umbrella and signed obligatory legal paperwork that would allow them to experience the “rollercoaster on water” with the colorful Captain Dan.

He was of medium height, slender build, and had a full head of wind-blown sandy blond hair that he revealed often when adjusting his cap. He wore swim trunks and a long-sleeved lime-green and black quick-dry top. His bronzed skin, weathered face, and obvious

Captain Dan gives a history and geography lesson

between spins.

comfort in being shoeless and sure-footed were evidence of his decades on and in the water. After watching him ferry passengers out to his moored jet boat on a motorized rubber raft, helping transfer his human thrill-seeking cargo to the bigger boat, and explaining the workings and safety features of a jet boat, it was clear that he had been doing this job for a very long time.

Like many of the men of the early 19^th Century whaling vessels, Dan is an international man. Born in Alaska where he spent his early days, he grew up in the Middle East where his father was an oil industry construction engineer. He spent time in San Diego and kicked around numerous occupations before washing up on the beaches of Maui.

Captain Dan adjusted his weathered purple LA Lakers ball cap to ensure a tighter fit as he opened the throttles of his sleek jet boat and skimmed over the waters at Kaanapali, Maui, near Lahaina. He hooked up his IPhone to the craft’s stereo system and blasted head-banger music out of speakers that were strategically embedded into the sides of the aluminum bulkheads and aimed at the seated passengers, adding to the rush of the moment. There were squeals of delight from his passengers as the craft approached 50 MPH. With his eyes fixed on the water before him, he held up his right hand, extended his index finger and rotated it counterclockwise as a warning for his giggling passengers to brace themselves.

With all aboard clutching the long metal bars in front of each seat, Dan cut the bright yellow boat’s two engine throttles, turned the wheel sharply to the left and then reopened just one throttle sending the craft in to sharp spin known as a “Hamilton turn” or “jet spin.” Water sprayed, knuckles whitened, and thrill-shrieks of pleasure emanated from the passengers as the spin took them round and round. The boat straightened out from its spin and quickly regained considerable speed. Captain Dan reversed and brought the craft to an abrupt stop in a little more than the boat’s own length, showering water on the tourists in the last row with a move known as a “crash stop.”

For the load of tourists, it was an uncommon and invigorating experience. For Captain Dan, it was just the 10 a.m. version of four or five “insane” jet boat excursions he would make that day.

His flat-bottomed jet boat gets a lot of attention from gawkers on the beach when he puts it through its violent maneuvers. Unlike a regular motorboat, the jet boat is propelled by a jet of water that is ejected from the rear of the craft. It draws water in through an intake and a pump jet inside the boat expels it through a nozzle at the stern. Jet boats can operate on water that is only three inches deep. The concept was the brainchild of New Zealander William Hamilton in the early 1950s.

“I got that snorkel boat and that fishing boat out there in addition to the jet boat,” he told a customer recently as he untethered the jet boat from its offshore mooring and pointed to the other craft that bobbed in the water nearby. “I spend all day taking folks out on them and then all night fixing them back up.”

The charter fishing expeditions that Dan specialized in for years are a thing of the past because sport fishing off Maui has dried up.

“There’s just nothing out there to catch anymore,” he said. “I’ve pretty much shifted exclusively to the jet boat rides, snorkel trips, and whale watching in season.”

Dan’s jet boat rides feature 360⁰ spins, sharp turns, lightening acceleration, and sudden watery stops. About midway through a typical excursion, he shuts down the engines and invites his customers to take a dip in the 200-foot-deep warm ocean water.

A jump and swim at the halfway point in a Maui 

Jet Boat ride.

Most passengers take him up on the offer while he makes cell phone calls to line up an afternoon roster of jet boat customers. With everyone safely back aboard, Dan spent extra time explaining how the jet boat is environmentally friendly because it has no props that could harm sea life. He also lectures briefly about the surrounding islands, offering a quick history lesson on each one.

“That island there used to be the largest pineapple plantation in Hawaii,” he said gesturing toward the island of Lanai. “After the plantation closed, it was bought by Larry Ellison who founded Oracle. You know, he is big into the America’s Cup races.”

Dan directed his passengers’ attention to the island on his right.

“That’s Kahoolawe Island,” he said. “We aren’t allowed within two miles of it. The Navy used it as a firing range up until 1990 so there’s tons of unexploded ammo over there. No one lives on Kahoolawe.”

Dan pointed to a speck on a Maui mountain high above the shoreline.

“That’s Lahainaluna High School, one of the oldest boarding schools west of the Rockies,” he said. “In the old days, they used to light big bonfires the night before graduation day to signal families over on Lanai that it was time to pick up their kids. Then, parents would paddle over in their canoes and take their kids home.”

Captain Dan finished his talk, cracked a brief smile, and fired up the jet boat for the quick trip back to his beach umbrella headquarters.

The wooden sailing ships and the whaling men who manned them are long gone from Maui’s waters; the taverns and rowdy

Shopping district of Lahaina

streets of old Lahaina have been replaced with pricy restaurants, art galleries, and touristy merchandise shops; and people like Captain Dan and operators of parasailing businesses, snorkel boats, and other pleasure craft now rule the waves to the delight of the men, women and children who seek the thrills they offer.