We did not get off the ship in Kauai or most other islands; we live on Maui, and visit Kauai pretty regularly. The most interesting part of approaching and leaving Nawiliwili is the fact that the Star is nearly as big as the harbor entrance. The entrance is a big "S" curve and every turn has to be made exactly. The officers told us that they had been informed by the harbor pilots of Kauai that it was not possible to bring that big a ship into the harbor. Nowadays, the pilots are aboard, but they let the Star crew do all the piloting of the ship. All arrival and departure must be in the daylight. Like here on Maui, everything comes into Kauai by barge from Honolulu.
The "thumbnails" following this narrative show views of Kauai. They may be "enlarged" by clicking on them with your mouse pointer. Enjoy!
Entrance Light and Buoy at Nawiliwili [The Lihue airport is just to the right] |
Approaching the Channel into Nawiliwili [The mountains are cloudless, an uncommon site] |
Kauai Mountains -- Very Clear That Day |
The Channel -- Pier is Ahead [Star will have to turn 90 degrees to the left and then 180 degrees to the right, and then dock] |
Pilot Boat |
Smoothly Approaching the Pier After All Those Turns |