These 3 nautical experiences on O‘ahu will lure even avowed landlubbers

I was born and raised in Hawai‘i, but—surprise!—I don’t surf. Or snorkel. Or even swim. Yet that hasn’t prevented me from loving the ocean as much as any old salt. The Pacific is Hawai‘i’s biggest playground, and I enjoy being on it instead of in it.

Whatever the watercraft—cat, kayak, ferry, or liner—I breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun and salt spray on my face, and marvel at the vast expanse of blue before me. Out there, the words of the late, great ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau always come to my mind: “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

In 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed, leading to the decade-long Great Depression. But looking at Vida Mia, which was constructed in California that year, you wouldn’t have guessed that global economies were in turmoil at that time. With an oak and Port Orford cedar hull, an interior of gleaming teak and mahogany, a porcelain clawfoot bathtub, and tempered stained-glass cabinets, the 61-foot motor yacht was the epitome of luxury and elegance.

From the 1920s through the 1950s, wealthy businessmen used such “commuter yachts” for pleasure and to get to Wall Street from their Long Island, New York, estates. Very few such antique boats that are certified to carry passengers remain in the world, and Vida Mia is the only one based in Hawai‘i. Over the decades, the yacht has been the pride and joy of multiple owners; the fourth brought her to Hawai‘i in 1963.

“You could build a boat that looks like her, but it wouldn’t have her history,” says owner Brynn Rovito. “Families have lived on her; countless weddings and other celebrations have taken place aboard her. Vida Mia is rare, she’s beautiful, and it’s a privilege to have her here.”

It’s a privilege to ride aboard her, too. Tours hug the Waikīkī shoreline at a leisurely pace. Stroll wherever you like on the boat, seeing areas where former owners, their friends, and their families ate, slept, and played. The sunset dinner cruises feature a seafood supper of Hawaiian fish ceviche, shrimp cocktail, Kualoa oyster shooters, blackened ‘ahi, spiny lobster tail stuffed with king crab, coconut panna cotta, and a premium open bar.

Rovito loves to see guests talking story, creating cherished memories, and appreciating a vessel that has been through many changes in the past 94 years. The crew’s training includes learning the boat’s history.

“I feel a tremendous responsibility to be a good steward of Vida Mia,” Rovito says. “Having the right business plan is essential, so that people can enjoy her and she can be properly maintained. You can’t do booze cruises with her; you can’t change her story line. She has a special spirit, and she tells you what she can do, how often she can go out, how many people she can carry. She tells you what makes her happy.”

Vida Mia offers coffee cruises (whale watching is a bonus November through March), sunset dinner cruises (with a fireworks show on Fridays), and themed special-event cruises. Adult prices begin at $89. The pet-friendly boat can accommodate groups of up to 36 people. Ask about kama‘āina rates, special events, and corporate and private charters.

Vida Mia has appeared on the silver screen with Hollywood Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer (Snatched, 2007). In 2021, the boat appeared in HBO’s Emmy Award–winning television show The White Lotus.

Refreshments are typical of what Hawaiians of old would’ve eaten: poke, smoked marlin, sweet potato, coconut, papaya, mango, fresh coconut water, and pa‘i ‘ai—thick, undiluted taro that you’ll pound yourself. Everything is served with wooden bowls, platters, and utensils, all part of the mission to emphasize sustainability and environmental stewardship.

“We regard Kamoauli as a pu‘uhonua, a sanctuary,” Riekena says. “Whatever is going on in our lives—if there’s pilikia [trouble]—our crew leaves it on the dock and, hopefully, our guests will too. We start every trip with an ‘oli [chant] and end it with an ‘oli. What we share in between is aloha and ‘ike [knowledge]—it’s authentic Hawai‘i, the real Hawai‘i.”

Four 2-hour cruises depart daily. Adults, $200–$250; children, $100–$125. Ask about kama‘āina rates and private charters.

Kamoauli’s leisure excursions subsidize onboard science, history, and culture programs for school groups ranging from elementary through college levels.

Partnerships with like-minded organizations have been formed. For example, Kamoauli serves fresh produce from O‘ahu farms, including Ma‘o Organic Farms in Wai‘anae, known for its mission of “connecting youth and land through the daily practice of aloha āina [love of the land].”Smoking and consuming alcohol are prohibited aboard Kamoauli. “The canoe is a special, sacred place,” Captain Rob Riekena explains. “Because of that, this kapu [taboo] can never be broken.”

“I love teaching people about sailing and sharing the high of gliding on the ocean, powered only by the wind,” Merrill says. “We can anchor in a hidden cove one night and move to another one the next night. On a boat, you can see incredible parts of Hawai‘i that you can’t from a car, plane, or on foot.”

Prices for the Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lāna‘i Sail start at $4,550 for up to 3 people.

Matt Merrill first cruised in 1961, when he was just 6 weeks old. His parents took him, bundled in a blanket, when they sailed their boat along the estuary in Alameda, California.

Cool historical fact: If an officer of a ship died during a voyage, the crew would hoist blue flags and paint a blue band on the hull to signify they were grieving. That’s supposedly how the term “feeling blue” (sad) came to be.

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi has enjoyed ocean adventures on kayaks, ferries, catamarans, sailboats, cruise ships, and Zodiacs throughout Hawai‘i.