Fishing island is conspicuously absent from the Kona fishing scene. 75 feet long and three decks high, the floating fishing platform was once a dominant site off the coast right outside Honokohau harbor. Just 3 miles offshore, it was clearly visible even from the highway bringing fishing tourists in from Keahole Airport.
Fishing island attracted bait fish
and game fish by the thousands. On most days, you would find boats by the dozen
circling the platform and its accompanying buoy to catch
Then disaster struck. According to fishing island operator Capt. Ray Nibert, the
swivel at the base of the buoy broke, dropping the mooring line to the bottom
and releasing the platform.
Though 1.25 inch swivel was rated at
90,000 pounds but was holding up a cable weighing between four and six thousand
pounds, Nibert said. After the fact, the swivel manufacturer claimed the item
was not intended for such a use.
"If the swivel hadn't broken," Nibert said, "we'd still be out there. Our year
in operation proved the success of the enterprise."
Will fishing island return?
We have by no means given up, Nibert said. It's too good a
project to let lie and die. We've got the permits and they are valid. Our goal
is to be back out within six months. Financing a new mooring is only part of the
problem, all be it an expensive part. Even if the present 75 foot platform were
redeployed, the scope of the operation is limited by the license capacity of the
shuttle boat. With its present permits, the enterprise can only take six people
at a time.
"Even at six people a trip, three
times a day, we weren't doing too bad," Nibert said. "But all along our plan has
been to establish a really large platform size of a football field, 100 feet by
300 feet, capable of holding up 500 people. Are 75 footer was actually designed
to be the shuttle boat for the larger platform."
At present, Nibert is talking with potential investors
interested in financing the redeployment all the original equipment and
expanding toward the long-term goal of the large scale operation.
The size, scope and schedule depend on money, Nibert
said. We've proved the principle now we're looking for help.
©1990 Jim Rizzuto