Boat: 36' Shuttleworth Trimaran - NAI'A. History and Specs. 

Joint Project: NAI'A and Earth Island Institute's Save the Dolphins Project Japan Environmental Exchange efforts! 

Departure: NAI'A sailed under the Golden Gate noontime April 23, 1997. 5200 Nautical Miles to go. 

NAI'A found! THE FINAL CHAPTER “NAI'A” WASHES UP ON MIDWAY ATOLL

Nai'a beached at Midway

My attempt to break the Single-handed Transpacific Sailing Record on my 36’ trimaran NAI’A in support of the “TAIJI 5” captive orcas in Japan, ended only 300 miles from the finish in Tokyo with a pitch-pole capsize on May 23, 1997.  I was rescued, but was unable to salvage NAI’A and she was left adrift upside-down.  My guess is she drifted Northeast on the Kuroshio current off Japan and into the clockwise North pacific gyre current system – that took her back across the Pacific, and around to the South and headed back West toward Japan.  By some miracle (or “divine intervention”) as she drifted north of Midway Atoll, a storm blew her into Midway.  Bob Wilson reported fierce 40 knot Northwesterly winds blew NAI’A in across the reef and lagoon to rest on Eastern Island.  At a conservative drift rate of  .5 knot for 18 months, I estimate she drifted over 6,500 miles. 

Midway Atoll, famous for the decisive battle of WW II, is now a National Wildlife Refuge, under the jurisdiction of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and dedicated to the protection of millions of birds and marine mammals including several endangered species.
NAI’A was on Eastern Island, now uninhabited and turned over completely to the wildlife and visited only twice a week for 90 minute nature tours.  And that is all the time I got with her!  I went over on an old Navy LCM landing craft along with the tour accompanied by FWS officer Bob Dieli.  One of the crew, Adolfo Lucero, told me he was the first to spot NAI’A on the beach and thought she was a “seaplane”.  We were told that a highly endangered Hawaiian Monk seal had hauled out on the beach by NAI’A’s bow and we must approach very carefully and not disturb her at all.  It may be a female seal ready to “pup”.  Monk seals are very sensitive to human intrusion and often will not “pup” if people are around, a major reason their numbers have dwindled to only 56 residents on Midway. So we stayed crouched down around the stern, and the seal never even lifted her head.  This is what I found: 

The mainhull was upside-down and mostly intact, but not much else was there.  While adrift it appears NAI’A was wracked by rough seas and the aft crossbeam worked loose and was ripped out from the mainhull taking most of the cockpit with it.  Now with all the load on the front crossbeam, it broke midway on each side and the two outriggers and crossbeams separated from the mainhull and are probably still adrift or washed up on a beach somewhere.  I crawled inside the cabin through the escape hatch opening and dug out the sand around the chart table to find the very corroded electronics: SSB radio, weatherfax, and GPS.  My charts had already been removed from the compartment and were lying on the beach to dry out.  I found no other personal gear in the short time I had.  We dug the sand out from under the deck to find that the winches had all been sheared off – possibly when she blew in over the reef.  I unscrewed the compass, which still worked!  The time flew by.  We took pictures and video and planned to come back the next day to dig into the forward compartment and take time to say a proper good-bye.  But the tradewinds kicked up over night and no one would take me out.  This would have to do. 

NAI’A’s final resting  place on Midway Atoll is so fitting and still incredible to me.  Sailing for Earth Island Institute to save endangered marine mammals, NAI’A, which means “dolphin” in Hawaiian, drifts for 1 ½ years and finds her way to a wildlife refuge where 250 spinner dolphins live in the lagoon, and 56 highly endangered Hawaiian monk seals are making a comeback.  I was more touched by that irony than any feelings of loss or regrets at seeing her broken and upside-down on the beach.  My last memory will be of NAI’A and the Monk seal lying together- both having found their refuge.* 

*Note: NAI’A’s refuge will be short lived.  FWS have plans to break her up and clear the beach.  I proposed that she be righted and logs lashed to the remaining beam for outriggers and make her into a lagoon boat, but no one on the island was interested.  I have asked that the bow section with the two dolphins painted on it be cut off and given to the Oceanic Society for a decorative piece. 

NAI'A Epitaph

RE: NAI'A CHAIN-SAWED AND REMOVED FROM BEACH 

"Unfortunately the crew that chains saws the boat did not take a camaera with shots for the deck.  They reported that the forward compartment was not intact, the hatch surrounding deck area was ripped away.  No sails or other equipment was found.  They were able to salvage what hardware, which was still attached to the boat. 

They cut the hull into manageable pieces and they hauled the remaining pieces into the trees. We will dispose of these pieces next Summer when we can get a front-end loader to the location and not disturb nesting birds.  The salvage crew was able to cut the bow and that was hauled back to Sand Island and offered to the Oceanic Society staff. 

We enjoyed having you as a guest and hearing your experiences, especially with NAI'A.  Take care of yourself and best of luck in 1999." 
                                                                           Sincerely,   Bob J. Dieli Jr. 
                                                                                             Outdoor Recreation Planner  

Michael's Version of the rescue!! 

Arrival story by Michael Reppy

Present Record: 34 days, 6 hours, 26 min. in 1992 by Peter Hogg, Mill Valley, CA.

Read A Note From Michael with Michael's thanks to the Nai'a crew.
 

Read the article by Nathan LaBudde in Earth Island Journal Fall 1997: Fight to Save Taiji Orcas Continues

They have always been friends and good luck to sailors, and have been known to save people drowning at sea. 

They do not deserve to be slaughtered for food or kept captive in marine parks." 

Michael Reppy