Harbour

Ala Wai Boat Harbor

3.0Honolulu, United States

Maximum length: 24 m

Largest small-boat harbour in Hawaii, at the mouth of the Ala Wai Canal between Waikiki and Ala Moana on the south shore of Oahu, Honolulu.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Entrance channel runs north from the open Pacific into the harbour basin, between two jetties west of Magic Island. Approach is straightforward in settled weather; south swells break across the entrance in winter. Diamond Head is the obvious leading mark to the east.

Practical

699 berths, 1 launch ramp and 22 dry storage spaces. State-run by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation. Vessels up to 85 ft LOA. Long waiting list for permanent slips; transient moorage subject to availability. Floating docks, shore power, locked showers and heads. Waikiki Yacht Club and Hawaii Yacht Club sit within the harbour and offer reciprocal moorage to members of recognised clubs.

Ashore

Waikiki Beach starts immediately east of the harbour, with Ala Moana Beach Park to the west. Ala Moana Center shopping mall is a 10-minute walk. Honolulu downtown 2 miles west.

History

Harbour built in the 1950s after the dredging of the Ala Wai Canal, which drained the wetlands behind Waikiki in the 1920s to allow tourist development.