Canoe racing in Kaunakakai, Molokai, Hawaii. Bernie Strehler, Molokai, Hawaii. A great family fun event. You can spend the whole day just watching all the activity and fun. Lots of action and enthusiasm for locals and visitors too.
We took our Icecream from Dave's down to the dock , was surprised to see about 20 people down there (around 7.30pm and dark) all chatting etc, is obviously the place to go on a Saturday night..Had a nice little sit and looked at the boats, quite nice actually.
Booked two 4 hour fishing charters with Captain Mike and boy was it AMAZING! Not only did he put us on some fish but he also took us snorkeling and whale watching. An extra bonus was the dolphins that were basically at my feet!!!! We cannot say enough about Captain Mike. He is so friendly and down to earth. We loved spending time with him and his Aloha spirit! If you are lucky enough to visit Molokai be sure to book a tour with him, you won't regret it!
We saw more people swimming in the harbor than anywhere else on the island. Calmer and cleaner water than in most places we visited.
You can drive out to the end of the long wharf and see the small marina and working docks where goods are shipped in and the Maui ferry docks. Parking and washroom facilities but no restaurants or other services. A few people fish off the wharf and a boat launch facility and moor age is provided. Great place to watch the sunset.
Its a wharf. A nice heavy breeze. The winter sunset is so lovely and is unencumbered - meaning the sun sets on the ocean. Then after the sunset, have dinner in town.
The Molokai Harbor is very laid back. It's not a huge harbor but what space there is available is all you need. The Maui and Molokai Princess ferries were the only ones docked here during our visit. Visiting this island from Maui is very refreshing. Nobody was in a hurry except those of us who are here for a day trip and ready to explore the island. Catch the first ferry to come to Molokai and take the last one back to Maui. Sunset was beautiful but hard to take photos of due to very "rocky" trip in February. Be prepared to get soaked (we wore Gore-Tex parkas). My husband and I preferred to stay on the top level. The soaking was worth the trip since we spotted lots of whales on the way home.
I really loved my time on laid-back Molokai, with it's friendly people, gorgeous and varied scenery, and feel that you've stepped back in time (as far as Hawaii goes), but I don't get why this is shown as an attraction. As another reviewer states, it's a wharf that has nothing special to recommend it as an attraction. This is where you'd come if you want to catch a fishing tour, and it seems to operate just fine. I was here in 2010.
Arrived and departed from here from and to Lahaina, and it serves it's purpose well. Didn't see any other big boats here, but there are a number of smaller fishing boats used by the locals, but we didn't see any in use. just saw people from the ferry and Irene from the Alamo car rental van.
I hope the bay won't be offended if I say 4 stars, as it's lovely, but not worth a special trip to, unless you're a sunset lover and nearby. I came here on my first day in Moloka'i, before I knew much of anything except that I survived the plane ride. I took a walk to stretch and set off to 'find a sunset', as it was nearly the magic time (7 to 7:15 PM in late July) when the sunset comes suddenly, intensifies, and quickly sets. I was at a scenic overlook when I noticed how little time I had to get to a sunset spot. A fellow photographer suggested that instead of rushing West to a beach, I go 'to the wharf, it's just down the road', so I skidaddled off to the wharf as the sun was almost setting. It's right in the center of town, well, near the Chevron Station, Moloka'i Burger and Pizza. (The town center nearby, with Friendly Foods, is also an 'attraction' in and of itself! Quaint.) As for the wharf - it's not a California pier, or Disneyland. (This is tiny, traditional Moloka'i!) It's 'just a wharf', yes, like water is just water and sky is just sky, and nature.... So why go here, what's the 'attraction'? Number 1 (for me, though I'm a bit fanatic about sunset photography) was the sunset; The photographer told me - when I asked, "the wharf?" - that he really surprised himself by the great 'practice' he got at the wharf with photographing boats and sunsets. The wharf offers both. Unlike Florida, no birds flying about, unlike California, no boardwalk row of amusement arcades. But they do have pizza nearby! So, as I walked with camera and tripod along the wharf, contemplating the view, I came across some ships and a catamaran right in the center of a sunset. Then I noticed (and 'filmed') some teens on a pickup truck practicing their original ukelele songs. Someone noticed me and insisted I join them for pizza. The sunset got intense and someone else joined us with a camera and serious tripod. Ukelele still playing as the sun set; this was about as authentic a modern luau as I've been to on the islands, not with land-cooked pig and hula, but with pizza (hey, go with the flow, mo betta). And a breeze. And live Hawaiian music. "Real Hawai'i" still. They call Moloka'i the friendly isle and I can tell you it is, as long as - I heard this often - you are open to the Aloha spirit. In Moloka'i they don't ask for a lot except to 'keep Moloka'i Molokai', and other islanders come here to enjoy a more simple life too (no traffic or traffic lights, good land to work and enjoy). For Moloka'i this is a known 'attraction', just like the Pali, or hiking trails. It's just a mellow spot on a small island where things are real slow, even as tourists zip in and out for the day, for tours. If you're a day-tripper, I'd head to other daytime attractions like the Peninsula tour or hiking or snorkeling or hunting or dances at Paddlers or music with Pukuna at Hotel Moloka'i. Get a 'Mocha Mama' at Coffees of Hawai'i. Visit Kumu Farms. This is just a bay & wharf, with local story-talk, occasional tourists, boats & sunset.Aloha.