The Maui News

The Coast Guard rescued four people aboard an overdue sailboat that was on its way from Oahu to Maui when its GPS malfunctioned and it was blown off course, the agency reported.

The double-masted 34-foot SS Chuckahui Kai was 74 miles south of Oahu when an Air Station Barbers Point crew aboard an HC-130 Hercules plane located a vessel matching the description of the SS Chuckahui Kai at 2:07 a.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard reported. Mariners on deck were waving flashlights at the passing plane. The air crew unsuccessfully tried to hail the vessel over the radio before an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew diverted to the scene and deployed a rescue swimmer with a radio, who confirmed the vessel was the one that had been reported missing when it didn’t arrive in Lahaina by Monday, the Coast Guard said.

Later Tuesday morning, the cutter Oliver Berry arrived to evacuate the four mariners and the rescue swimmer and take them back to Honolulu Harbor.

No injuries were reported during the rescue, but emergency services provided aid at the pier to one mariner with a pre-existing health condition, the Coast Guard said.

Due to deteriorating weather, the vessel was abandoned instead of being towed to Honolulu, the Coast Guard said. The sailboat was marked for visibility and remained adrift while the owner worked on a plan to determine the next course of action for the vessel.

“This case highlights the importance of filing a float plan,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Ashley Gray. “Because the SS Chuckahui Kai’s crew notified a friend of their intentions, we were notified promptly when the vessel crew was late and in possible distress. Had the friend not called us, it may have been days before anyone knew something was wrong.”

The sailboat, which didn’t have a working engine, was under sail power only when it left Ala Wai Harbor on Saturday morning. The boat was headed to Lahaina to be sold when the GPS malfunctioned and the vessel was blown off course overnight, according to the Coast Guard.

“Though they had a working compass and a northern heading, the conditions continued to push them south,” the Coast Guard reported.

A friend of the owner notified the Coast Guard on Monday that the boat was overdue, and the search was launched.