Helicopter to begin defueling of luxury yacht that ran aground off Maui

The dirt road near Lipoa Point off Maui’s Honoapiilani Highway will be closed starting Thursday morning to allow a helicopter to lift barrels of fuel from a 94-foot luxury yacht that ran aground Monday over the dirt road and onto dry land where they can be transported offsite, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The Nakoa is stuck on rocks below a cliff outside the Honolua-Mokuleia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.

The U.S. Coast Guard is using a private contractor to begin the defueling process. DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement will provide ocean safety support, including a moving perimeter around the vessel as needed, according to a news release. Mariners and ocean users are being advised to avoid Honolua Bay and Mokuleia Bay Thursday, as access may be restricted.

Maui police officers will be blocking the dirt road at Lipoa Point “to keep people safe during the defueling operation,” the release said.

DLNR, the Coast Guard and Maui police “are working to remove the vessel as quickly as possible so that no further harm is done to the bay, and access can be restored.”