Announcements

Important October 5, 2022 Update: Click here to view policy changes made by the U.S. Coast Guard regarding e-foil regulations.   An electric hydrofoil surfboard, also known as an “e-foil,” ...
Read More How are E-foils Regulated in Hawaii?

Beginning Friday, August 28, the public restrooms on the grounds of Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, Oahu, will close daily after 4:00pm, including weekends and holidays.  This change is being ...
Read More Ala Wai SBH Public Restrooms to Close Daily at 4PM

MONDAY – FRIDAY PUBLIC ACCESS RESTORED.  DOBOR’s Hawaii District Office and the adjacent Honokohau Harbor Office will again be open to the public Mondays through Fridays (except State holidays) from ...
Read More Hawaii District and Honokohau SBH – Days of Operation Changing

The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation is inviting the public to sign up for email and text notices of division plans and actions that may impact the public.  ...
Read More DOBOR INVITES THE PUBLIC TO SIGN UP FOR EMAIL AND TEXT NOTICES

HONOLULU -- The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) approved a settlement today between the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) and Stephen E.J. Koehne regarding illegal commercial operation in Hanalei Bay ocean waters on Kaua‘i.

If you launch a boat from one of O‘ahu’s small boat harbors you’ll see one. If you start hiking up one of the island’s popular trails you’re bound to see one. By the end of today, 25 large, conservation messaging signs will have been installed at various locations under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). Another five signs are portable and will be used for various outreach and education purposes.

A boat operator, who advertised his “Epic Boat After Party,” on social media, was cited by the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) on Easter Sunday for conducting commercial activities without a permit. Among the 15 passengers Adam Taylor carried on his boat to the Ahu o Laka sand bar in Kaneohe Bay, were undercover DOCARE officers who paid Taylor fees for a boat ride. All commercial activities conducted from State small boat harbors, facilities, and near shore waters require a permit from the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation.

The owner of a 35-foot cabin motorboat that went aground at Kihei beach Wednesday afternoon during strong winds and waves, is attempting to remove his boat. The "Hanamana", owned by William Domen, Jr. broke off its offshore mooring in the area of South Kihei Road. and Uwapo Road. It’s resting on the sandy shoreline fronting the area of Kihei Canoe Club.

Hawai’i’s small boat harbors, under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), serve as the ocean gateways for thousands of kamaʿāina and visitors every year. In addition to maintaining 2,000 berths statewide and registering some 12,000 boats, DOBOR and its small boat harbors are used for a large variety of purposes. Boating, obviously, but also snorkeling, diving, touring, fishing and kayaking are among the frequent uses of our sixteen small boat harbors. All of these harbors and their ramps, piers, moorages, wash downs, comfort stations and parking lots require constant maintenance. While many boaters and commercial operators pay fees, any private boat owner can acquire an annual launch ramp decal for $50. These harbors also serve literally, as “safe harbors” during storms. These facilities are constantly exposed to the corrosive effects of salt air and salt water. This means, in addition to regular maintenance, the frequency in which you have to replace structures is greatly accelerated.

HONOLULU -- The small boat harbors and boat ramps have played an important role in the recreational history of Hawai‘i. Although many of the harbors have been upgraded, repaired and expanded over time, many of the original features, including their breakwaters, basins, slips, and channels retain their historic character.