KAUAI CANOE REGATTA

Kauai's Garden Island Canoe Regatta At Hanalei Bay

Winners qualify for State Races here in two weeks

Leaving home at quarter to 7 in the morning for a long day at the beach

Regatta Day - from Pavillion out and left

From Pavillion to right

            So for years the kids have gone first and the other races roughly by age groups, ladies first in each category and then the men.  this year was a change up.  The 60s teams and newly created 65 team went before the kids.  The races started at 8:30 rather than 8am because there is always at least one sailboat that thinks it is ok to be anchored in the race lanes.  gil was in both the 65 and 60 teams (two max for state tryouts) and he was done by 9:00.  Of course, he didn't get home till 7pm anyway - it was Regatta Day!

Namolokama 65 men's team

Their only competition in Kauai is the Hanalei club

Namo is ahead from the start 

Hanalei is nowhere in sight as they head for the finish line

First Gold of the day - go Namo!

65 Guys L to R

Jim, Gil, Rex, Gene, Nick, Dick

             There was no 65 ladies team but the 60s had just Namolokama and Hanalie again.  Here Namo girls are waiting for their boat to come in.

 Unfortunately for Namo, Hanalei clocked them for a place at States

Season over - aloha Ladies, enjoy the time off!

Namo tent, Hokualele, on left, is a sister club with all kids out of Anahola

 Looks like Namo 60s guys are lagging a little here on the first quarter-mile leg

 Just kidding!  Beautiful turn at the other end and then they hit it.  

Another Gold and ticket to States.

Good job 60s!

60s Guys - L to R

Lance, Gil, Jack, Tom, Landis, Sully

           Well I didn't stay all day.  Of the twenty races entered by Namolokama, 10 won first and the other ten either 2nd or 3rd place.  Not bad for a little club.  (For comparison, Hanalei's bigger club had 44 entries and won 16 firsts.)  All the first place teams will race again in two weeks, right here. Stay tuned for that fantastic day of racing in Koa canoes.

HANALEI NIGHTS and JULY 4th

Summer Fridays at Blackpot Beach

Black Pot is a grassy county park behind the beach near the pier

Every Friday night the gang comes with tiki torches, firewood, and tents and tables

Everyone brings food - usually excellent

 Hard to beat the show - in the summer the sun drops right into the water

 Down to an art with pupus at one end and deserts at the other (still covered here)

This was pareo night

Quite a doo!  Friend Laura caught this on her phone and forwarded to me

A carved appliance box wasset over the fire which is built in the drum of an old washer

(see Laura's page at top of site for update on LRR)

 Toga night, some comply

 Dick Brewer, legendary surf board shaper, contemplating his burning paper plate

 A number of July birthdays were captured in one celebration

Debra was among the birthday folk and an originator of the Friday night extravaganzas

 OK - all big boxes are now part of the Friday shenanigans

 Ever heard  "blow it out your ear"

Jake Bernard and a couple of the ladies playing with fire balls 

4^th of July - or Thursday night at Black Pot Beach

 Dedicated folks staked out the tent by 9AM on July 4th 

The parties went all the way around Hanalei Bay

 With all those cartons of fireworks from Costco, it's hard to wait for dark

 The sunset was dynomite

So was the food

 Calm before the storm

Not quite dark and the fountains begin

From the pier looking toward the mountains - feels like a volcano with all the smoke

 From the pier looking toward the river

 Coated paper lanterns with wax candles are very popular 

Quite lovely as the drift out over the water, ever higher

Last fountain of the evening for our gang 

 Not the end of the entertainment - Jake gave us another show

Fire is incredible in the dark of night

ALBATROSS FLEDGING

Moli fledging - right on schedule

The albatross chicks or keiki moli hatch around February first and typically fledge about five months later. 4th of July weekend is often the time we get distracted and those little down balls that recently grew up suddenly disappear.

 Adult Laysan Albatross sitting on newly hatched chick in February

 No bigger than the egg it came from, eating and sleeping will make it 

grow sturdy bones, long wings, and perfect feathers.

Moli at two months, a few feet off his nest now

Waiting for either or both parents to come back with squid mush

Moli at about 4 months, feathers have grown it but still have some down clinging to them

              By this time the baby bird has developed nearly everything he will need to live at sea,

outweighing his parents, they practice tough love and stop feeding him so he will get hungry enough to go.

This one took flight a few days after this - the down will soon wash away in the salty water

In 3-4 years, he will return here looking for a mate of his own

SUMMER 2013 - BEACHES

July Snorkeling     

Oneone

             Knowing we are heading for the Rockies for two months (Aug-Sep) makes us treasure our calm summer snorkeling water.  Ke'e is too crowded these days and this beach is usually so windy it's not fun.  It was perfect today!  We call it Oneone (oh-nay oh-nay) but when I requested a new zone code from Reef.org I realized it is Kephui Point.  Not a bad crowd for a Sunday!

Left

 Center

 Right

The air was so clear we could see the trees all the way over in Princeville

We went out and then went out again after the tide came up

 The dark spots are coral heads 

Haena

A different day

Left toward Ke'e (around the point)

 Right - Tunnels is the reef 

 Besides snorkeling, scuba diving, wind surfers are busy here

Detail of these crazy guys!

            Here are some special fishes we saw over several times.  I can't remember whose shots are mine but most are Gil's.  

 Four-Spot Butterflyfish 

Two spots per side, about 6"

 The coral is magnificent

 Hilu or Yellow Stripe Coris and a Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, both endemic

The Hilu (hee-loo) is probably 20"  and the cleaner wrasse about 5"
See previous post about "critters" for the alpha male stage of same fish

A small Blue Trevally or jack, he will get a lot bigger!

Endemic Pearl Wrasse - female, about 14"

this one also turns turquoise when it becomes alpha male

 Ornate Butterflyfish 8"

We almost always see them in pairs

7-11 Crab

We usually see these guys tucked into crevices or under rocks 

We saw him several times, pretty active; they are not usually exposed

This video is fun of the Convict Tangs

Gil didn't know he had the video going when he popped up to look for me

Nice view of the beach from the water!