Sailing to Molokai Isn't For Everyone
Molokai sits between Oahu and Maui with zero airports on the island itself. You get there by boat or a tiny prop plane. Most people don't realize that the windward side of Molokai has one of the tallest sea cliffs on Earth, and the leeward side is basically desert. That means your approach matters a lot depending on what kind of conditions you're dealing with. The real draw here is the north shore. There's a stretch of coastline near Kalawao that you can't see from the main highway because there isn't a highway. The Molokai Coast Guard station is nearby, and until recently, most civilian boats didn't bother coming out this far. That's starting to change. I sailed my 42-foot cutter out there last spring around late April. We launched from Kewalo Basin early, made it past Kaneohe with the wind building, and hit the channel between Molokai and Oahu around midday. The current through there moves faster than the charts show, especially at mid-tide. I was seeing six knots of set pushing us toward the east end of the island when I expected maybe three.
If you're planning this trip, the best approach is coming in from the north off Papohaku Beach. You anchor in about eighteen feet of sand bottom near the northern point. It's deep enough for most cruising boats but shallow enough that you aren't getting swamped by open-ocean swell. The beach itself is nearly two miles long and completely empty unless you're the only boat around. It was just us for three days. One thing nobody warns you about: there's no fuel on Molokai. Not for boats, not for planes, nothing. If your diesel consumption is high and you're coming in too lean on reserves, you're stuck waiting for a supply barge schedule that runs maybe twice a week. I ran out of drinking water halfway through our stay and had to negotiate a ride out with a local fisherman heading back to Maui. He charged me eighty bucks plus half his catch on the way back. Fair enough.
What You Need Before You Go
Weather windows are narrow. The Kona coast side gets hammered when trade winds shift south, and the north shore is exposed to northwest swells in winter. Your best shot is May through September when the trades are steady and generally from the northeast. Even then, you'll get sudden squalls that knock the wind down to zero for a few hours. You need to file with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources if you're anchoring near the Papohaku area because it's technically within the Papohaku Beach Park boundaries. There's no dockage. No marina. Nothing except a rough path up to a dirt road if you want to walk inland. I always carry extra water purification because the rain cisterns on the island are unreliable. You can fill up in Lahaina before you head out, but factor in at least two hundred gallons if you're doing more than a couple days. A basic RO unit on board handles the rest.
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The Reality Check
Most guidebooks skip Molokai entirely. They call it "the forgotten island." That's marketing language, but it's accurate in a practical sense. There's nothing to buy. No supermarkets worth mentioning, no gear shops, no marine supplies. If something breaks on your boat, you wait. The nearest mechanic is in Lahaina or West Maui. Some people hate it. They complain about the lack of infrastructure. They're right, but that's also why it works. There's no cruise ship traffic. No commercial fishing in the immediate nearshore zones year-round. You can swim off the beach without competing with a dozen other kayaks. The snorkeling at the north end near Uaulele Point is decent if you time it right with the tidal flow. I've seen hawksbill turtles there multiple times in a single morning. The visibility drops to maybe ten feet once the afternoon chop picks up, so you go early.
Bring trash bags. Leave absolutely nothing behind. The island doesn't have garbage collection for offshore areas. What you bring in, you take back out.
