Department of Land and Natural Resources

DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR

SUZANNE D. CASE CHAIRPERSON

For Immediate News Release: June 2, 2022

FINES AND OTHER PENALTIES APPROVED
FOR OWNER OF A BOAT USED AS AN  ILLEGAL LIVEABOARD 

State Land Board Takes Significant Step in Combatting Illegal Liveaboards 

To view video please click on photo or view at this link: https://vimeo.com/707358819

(HONOLULU) – The State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has approved a $30,000 fine for the owner of a boat who allowed the boat’s co-owner, her husband, and their child to live on the boat, moored in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, without required permitting.

In addition to the unprecedented fine for using a vessel as a place of principal habitation without a permit, William G. Friel III, will have all his DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) permits revoked, and will not be allowed to obtain permits for the next two years.

During six, night inspections from Sept. 2021 until March of this year DOBOR staff and officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) checked on Friel’s boat, The Sun II. 

During each of the check’s, staff and officers found indications that someone was aboard the vessel without the required notification and a valid stay aboard permit.

“Over the course of many years, DOBOR staff have observed people illegally using their vessels as places of principal habitation. We’ve also received numerous complaints regarding individuals illegally living on their vessels in the Ala Wai and Ke‘ehi Small Boat Harbors,” said Ed Underwood, DOBOR Administrator.

Underwood added, “We appreciate the important step the BLNR took in addressing this issue, as well as the support we received from DOCARE to document this case and for future ones.”

Under Hawai‘i Administrative Rules (HAR) the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor is allowed 129 liveaboards and the Ke‘ehi Small Boat Harbor is allowed 35. DOBOR has not issued any new liveaboard permits for the past three years.

Information DOBOR submitted to the land board included, “DOBOR staff believes that unless there are consequences for violating Hawai‘i Revised Statues and HAR restrictions, people do not have an incentive to abide by the rules or directions…In the case of Mr. Friel’s violations, Mr. Friel received notice that he was violating principal habitation and stay aboard rules and continued to blatantly violate the principal habitation and stay aboard rules on multiple occasions.”

Friel’s boat will be posted next week, and he will be required to remove it from the harbor within 72-hours. Underwood says other illegal live aboard cases are under investigation and will be brought to the BLNR for similar actions.

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(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)

HD video – Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor (May 7, 2022):
https://vimeo.com/707358819

 

Media Contact: 

Dan Dennison

Senior Communications Manager
Hawai’i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
[email protected]