~ Frequently asked Questions: ~

Kuu'ipo Catamran F.A.Q.

Na Pali F.A.Q.

Style of Tour

Booking F.A.Q.

Reservation F.A.Q.

Other F.A.Q.

How do we board the boat?

Hanalei Bay where we depart from is not a Harbor it is a beach park and there is not a dock to use for boarding. When you arrive at the beach for your tour, you will need to wade out in knee to waist deep water about approximately 100 yards to board our sailboat Kuu'ipo. Your toes will sink into the soft white sand of Hanalei Bay.

Please dress accordingly by wearing your bathing suit and beach wear and prepare to get wet!

Can I bring a wheelchair on this tour?

Please understand this is an open ocean adventure with waves, wind, the occasional rain squall and our boarding procedures are subject to geographical changes and the ocean tide and sandbar. Therefore we regret there is no wheelchair access for this boat ride there is no gang plank there are no hand rails, you must be physically capable of walking upright in water knee deep, no less than 100 yards to meet and board the vessel. For these ammenities, please call and we will refer you to a company that may be better suited for you individual needs.

Is there shade on the boat and what is the seating like on board?

Yes! We have a cabin area with a new cabin top and there's cushioned seating as well! This way you have the benefit of sitting in the cabin to have time away from the sun but still be able to see outside the cabin as well. The sails also provide partial shade while you're out on 
deck. 

We have open deck seating. This means you may move about freely.  You may choose       to relax in our completely shaded and cushioned cockpit area, or ride in the warm tropical    sun on the padded deck seating, or for real fun in the sun, ride the wild and wet trampolines on the bow. Extensive shade is provided in the cabin/cockpit area by our new cabin-top.

Is there a toilet on board?
Yes, we have a marine toilet facility down in one of the hulls.

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What makes Capt. Sundown's Na Pali tour different from all the other boats?
Location, Location, Location!

Hanalei Bay departures insure you will enjoy the sights and sounds of Kauai's spectacular North Shore. Sites include the Hanalei Pier, rushing waterfalls, Piko Cave, Puff the Magic Dragon, and we guarantee the "entire" Na Pali Coast state park. Remember, the Na Pali starts in Hanalei!

How far is the Na Pali Coast from Hanalei Bay ?
Captain Sundown's Na Pali Sailing adventure starts from Hanalei Bay is only "7" minutes from most Princeville and North Shore resorts and is where the NaPali coastline starts.

Caution:  Not all Na Pali boat tours are alike! You get what you pay for!

Departing from Port Allen requires an early morning 2.5 hour drive from Kauai's North shore resorts. This means you need to be on the road by 4 or 5 a.m. just to make check-ins, followed by a "23 mile boat ride" just to reach the Na Pali from Port Allen.

But most importantly, many tour boats departing from the West side do not show you the green North end of the Na Pali where all the waterfalls and lush valleys are. They simply don't have the time to run two tours and show you the Na Pali too!  Some turn around as soon as they get to the Na Pali without even touring it.

It is incredible to us how many visitors, after coming all this way, don't get to see the Na Pali because they chose the wrong boat company from the West side of the island. Be very sure when you book with the west side companies of where they are taking you, how much coast you will see and where you will be allowed to snorkel.

How rough is the Na Pali Coast? 

The Na Pali Coast is a very rugged coastline comparable to white water rafting. We consider the Na Pali Coastline to be an "11" on a adventure scale of 1-10! Please prepare for a wet 
and wild adventure if you decide to join us on our Na Pali Coast Boat tours! 

Will I get seasick?

If have concerns about getting sea sick, because the Na Pali makes for a very wet and wild, white water rapids style of tour, please take this into consideration when deciding on a Na Pali boat tour. We have no way of knowing in advance what each individual's tolerance could be.

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How far down the Na Pali coast do Captain Sundown's sailing tours go?
On our morning 6 Hour Total Na Pali Deluxe Snorkel Sail, we'll show you everything end-to-end Hanalei to Nualolo Aina. Enjoy sailing off shore for top to bottom views of this spectacular coastline!

On our afternoon 3 Hour Na Pali Sightseeing Sunset Sail, we sail as far as the Honopu Archway, made famous by the "King Kong" film. This means you'll see 6 out of the 8 total valleys along the Na Pali, including offshore vista views of the 7th valley Kalalau before returning to Hanalei Bay for the Sunset views upon the conclusion of your tour.

Will we see the sea caves on our Na Pali sailing tour? 
Yes! We will show you Hanakapiai valley known as the "beginning of the Na Pali Coast state park". Experience all of the sea caves, such as Pirates Cave (Waiahuakua), Rainbow Falls, and the famous Honopu Archway where King Kong was filmed.

Do you go inside the caves?
Because we have a large sailing vessel with a 60' mast, we do not enter into the sea caves. With Captain Bob on board (and as long as the ocean conditions permit), he'll take you to get very close to the Na Pali by "hugging" the coastline, we take you close enough to where you can see inside and around. 

Will we see Dolphins?
We certainly do see a lot of marine wildlife during our tours and we hope that during our tour that we'll have the blessing of seeing these beautiful creatures along the way down the Na Pali! During our Na Pali tours, we not only hug the coastline, a popular destination of Spinner and Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins, but we go offshore for extreme encounters with the large Dusky Dolphins, the deepest diving of the Dolphin species. Duskies often appear battle-scarred from encounters with prey and with each other. Dolphins are fearless and can swim extremely close to the boat (known as bow-riding), often swimming right under your feet! 

Do you ever catch fish on your tours when trolling fishing lines?
Yes! Captain Bob enjoys hauling the big ones on board and our passengers get to share in the excitement by reeling them in! We have caught Ono, Ahi, Kahala, Mahi Mahi, and Barracuda just to name a few!

On your Snorkel Tour, will we snorkel along Na Pali? What about equipment?
Yes! On our 6 Hour Total Na Pali Snorkel Sail, Captain Sundown insures you will snorkel NaPali in addition to sightseeing as long as the ocean conditions permit for up to 1 hour. We plan to snorkel at Nualolo Kai located at the far end of the coast. The waters at Nu'alolo Kai are approximately 20-30 feet deep.

Note: Not all tour boats snorkel NaPali. Only boats with a C.O.I of 18 passengers or under may snorkel at Nualolo Kai!

We can provide snorkel gear or you can bring your own. If you require prescription or Optical masks please bring, we have regular snorkels, fins and masks on board.

What type of food is provided on your tours?

On the Morning Snorkel Sail, lunch is prepared daily by our local deli. We serve a roast beef or a turkey sandwich on French bread.

Fresh island fruit, cookies, chips, soft drinks, bottled water and juices are offered complimentary on all tours.

For any special dietary needs, including vegetarian, the passengers must bring his/her own.

-- Do you allow children under "7" on board including infants and toddlers?

No, our minimum age requirements are set for safety reasons because the Na Pali is quite too rugged for the little ones. Please remember our tours are open ocean adventures with waves, wind, the occasional rain squall..comparable to white water rafting.

I want to make a reservation, what do I do next?

We provide an online reservation submission form for your convenience to request tickets for our Na Pali boat tours. We do not ask you to register to do so and it should only take a couple minutes of your time.

If you are not on Kauai yet or have internet access on island, we highly recommend you use this form so we can send you an email confirmation pass with all the information you'll need for your sail including directions!

We will take last minute reservations over the phone once you get on island but please be aware we are sometimes booked a week or more in advance (more in the high demand summer seasons...anywhere from 2-3 weeks for the Snorkel Sail and 1-2 weeks for the Sunset Sail).

Please note you can always call our office (please leave a message if we're on the line or closed for the evening) with your questions or concerns prior to booking. We'd be happy to help!

What method of payment do you accept and what's your cancellation policy?

Visa or MasterCard credit cards only and cash and traveler's checks (exact change required). Information on our cancellation policy can be found here on our official online reservation submission form along with other reservation policies.

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How long should I allow for travel to be on time for check in?

If you are staying on the South Side of the island, such as Poipu, we strongly recommend for you to leave your hotel or private residence two hours prior to your check in time to avoid traffic which may cause you to miss your check-in time and shuttle. 

Other estimated driving times:

From: Hanalei/Haena/Tunnels/Ke'e: approx. 5-25 minutes

From Princeville: approx. 10 minutes

From Kilauea: approx. 15-20 minutes

From Wailua/Kapa'a: approx. 30-45 minutes 

From Lihu'e: approx. 1 hr.- 1 hr. 15 minutes 

From Hanapepe/Waimea: approx. 2-2.5 hours

Please try to anticipate traffic in your departure times.

Where do I go for our check in and how do I get there? 

Directions will be included in your email confirmation/boarding pass when we confirm your reservation. 

It is very important to call when you arrive on island to reconfirm that the information in your email confirmation is accurate and has not changed since your reservation was submitted. 

Please remember to make your mandatory weather check too! 

What should we bring for the tour?

Please pack as you would for a day at the bach. For example: hats, towels, sunscreen, easy shoes to slip off at the beach (you'll be barefoot on board), light jacket or windbreaker (think waterproof rain gear) and a big Hawaiian smile!

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We'll be on island during (specific dates), what will you be offering?

Our schedules change slightly each season, please review our website for the most up to date information as it occurs. If you have a confirmed reservation for a tour date months in advance, it will always be recommended you call or email in as your tour date approaches to see if there have been any changes.

Private Charters are available year round upon request. 

What days do you not offer tours?

We are not permitted to run on Sundays and State and Federal Holidays. Also, Sunset Sails are not offered on Wednesdays or Saturdays.

Holiday weekends (the Friday Sunset Sail and Saturday Morning Sail before a major Monday holiday), we will not run so as not to interfere with local famlies enjoying the beach park on these special occasions. For example: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, etc. Please email us with your availability questions.

Why do we get to leave from Hanalei Bay while all other tour boats have had to relocate or shut down?

In the ten years that followed Hurricane Iniki an Illegal tour boat industry was allowed to flourish in Hanalei Bay at the expense of the community, the environment and our small family business. 

We were among a handful of boaters legally permitted (and coast guard documented) to operate in Hanalei Bay. Captain Bob, "Captain Sundown" operated his "one boat" sailing company for 31 years of his life right in Hanalei Bay ocean waters.

In an effort to "end the controversy" Governor Ben Cayetano ordered all tour boats out of Hanalei. 

Then in June 2001 by the grace of God and several profoundly good lawyers, we presented our case before a Federal Court Judge, who ultimately prevented the State from destroying our legally established businesses of over 25 years operation. 

Having been faithful to our State permit and operating an environmentally safe vessel we have been granted the opportunity to maintain our small family tour boat business in Hanalei Bay.
We now operate lawfully on the orders of the Honorable Judge Helen Gillmor. We are told ours is a landmark case.

To read more about this story, click here .