Sunset Catamaran Cruise on Oahu’s North Shore
by Sunflower Jess on 04/30/08 at 4:05 pm
In March, I was invited by my friend Natalie to go up to the North Shore for a sunset catamaran cruise. She and her husband, Mike, had a friend visiting from the mainland, and they thought this would be a great evening of entertainment for him. I was very excited to ride a catamaran and to feel the wind whip through my hair, so naturally I said yes, I would join them!
When we arrived at the Hale’iwa Marina in the historic town of Hale’iwa, I saw a sign for our catamaran and discovered that not only was it a sunset cruise, it was a WHALE WATCHING cruise! I was so amped at the thought of possibly seeing a whale or two! I knew it wasn’t a guarantee but I was hoping for a peek!
We met our captain and made our payment for the cruise. Unfortunately, this isn’t a free event. I have to say, though, that we got a lot of cluck for our buck! The cost was about $50 per person (and I’m sure this varies from cruise company to company) and it included two hours of sailing and delicious food on board, like mahi mahi, coconut shrimp, and pineapple. We were also invited to bring along any adult beverages of our choice.
The boat set out at about 5 p.m. and we headed off into the ocean, beers in hand. Beer always goes very well with sailing! The cruise was amazing! I would totally do the whole catamaran thing again. The breeze was awesome (or full-blown wind at times!), the boat was riding the waves like crazy, splashing water at the front and on the nets, and we actually saw whales – lots of them! They were in the distance and we saw them jumping and spouting! I wasn’t able to capture a single one of them with my camera because it always happened so fast. But alas, that’s okay! At least I got to see them! They were simply wonderful in all their glory.
We got back to land at about 7 p.m., after watching the sun set on the water. That was another beautiful sight and the perfect end to a perfect experience. If you do one of these cruises, I recommend bringing a few things along with you:
Adult beverages of your choice
Aspirin (the ocean can be a bit rough and I noticed some people getting a little queasy and headachy after the first hour)
Comfortable clothes and shoes (you’ll be moving around quite a bit and might even get splashed by the waves)
A sweater for when the sun starts to set and the temperature drops
