Honolulu Sailing Company — Attraction in Honolulu

DO NOT Charter a yacht with Mike Mickelwait / Honolulu Sailing Co. Our trip was unpleasant at best and outright unsafe / dangerous at worst. The yacht we chartered was clearly not fit for purpose. (Note: We are experienced Blue water sailors / boat owner of over 20 years experience).

We travelled to Hawaii with the specific intention of chartering a yacht from Mike for a 8 day cruise. We had a mutually agreed date, vessel and itinerary (as promoted by Mike on his website) which we researched and planned for. Upon arrival Mike had the wrong date, the vessel was unavailable due to breakage and he strongly recommended that we did no pursue the itinerary that he had promoted and we had agreed. Mike indicated that he had another vessel available - which we agreed to as we were left with the alternative of NO vessel.

No information about the yacht was forthcoming other than a very brief verbal overview. No documentation was provided aside charts and cruising guides. Mike requested that we empty the primary fuel filter daily for water (this should have been a warning to us - water in the fuel tank is not something that any customer chartering a yacht should be needing to clear on a daily basis).

After setting off from Honolulu, it started to become apparent that the vessel was overdue some maintenance. The house batteries did not hold charge, the tender would not fully inflate without leaking and we had to fix the tender engine ourselves as it was leaking petrol so we fixed it ourselves (see photo in gallery). There were navigation lights not working (we fashioned new ones on route), the hatches leaked, the lines were worn (see photo in gallery), and one of the heads could not be locked off - meaning sewage could easily be expelled into the sea. Upon arriving in Hanalei, I dived the hull to see if I could scrub it to increase boat speed. After an hour of scrubbing I had to give up - there were year of barnacles and week growing on the bottom - which was too hard to get off.

Whilst this was uncomfortable, we could make do. However, on the fifth day - five hours off shore from Oahu the engine failed. As the house battery did not hold charge, this meant that all systems requiring electricity started to fail. No auto pilot, no GPS, reducing our ability to navigate (in unfamiliar waters) and communicate our situation to the outside world. Mike did not respond to our request for assistance until we contacted Coastguard and they contacted him on our behalf. Through out the next twelve hours as we made for the vessels home Marina we had little contact from Mike - and the most reassuring factor was that Coastguard contacted us hourly to check we were alright, and were on hand to chase Mike when he would not respond to our phone calls to make sure he would be on hand to tow us the final distance into the Marina.

Mike met us and towed us into our berth. What did Mike do at this point? Apologise? Offer a refund? Offer an alternative for the next three nights? None of the above - Mike said goodbye and just walked himself off the Marina.

So what next for us? We have discussed our grievances with Mike and have not reached a satisfactory agreement. We have raised a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

We think Hawaii is a great place to sail and you should do it, just don't do it with Mike and Honolulu...

My husband and I have chartered with Mike Mickelwait 4 times over the past 5 years. We loved each and every one of these charters. I highly recommend that you include Mike or one of his experienced captains on your voyage, however, due to the complexity of sailing in the Hawaiian islands. As one who grew up sailing in California, I can tell you - sailing in Hawaii is as challenging as it is wonderful. Mike is a low-key guy, but highly experienced in sailing out here, having been at it for 40+ years. He knows all the good harbors and surf breaks. He'll show you parts of Molokai you would never otherwise see. He is a sailor's sailor, and that's what you get. If you want an authentic Hawaiian sailing experience,...

We chartered Honolulu Sailing's Gaugin sailboat for a three-hour "Sunset Sailing/Snorkeling" private tour to celebrate our anniversary.  This tour is a great option for one or two couples, or perhaps a small family, who want to enjoy the beautiful waters near Waikiki on a vessel that isn't packed with tourists.

Captain Rick and First Mate Sebastian are great hosts and true professionals.

Despite unexpected cool and wet weather, we still had a really good time, had some nice picture-taking opportunities near Diamond Head, Waikiki, and Kakaako, and we enjoyed learning about sailing and hearing about Rick and Sebastian's previous adventures. The only downer was that the weather made seeing a beautiful ocean...