Cruising into the Sunset on Oahu's North Shore
There’s something about being at the ocean that gives me an entirely different kind of calm than being in the mountains. Usually life in the mountains is strenuous for me - I’m pushing my body through some physical endeavor and have little rest until I’ve reached a summit or returned to the car after a long day of skiing. As a Utah native I didn’t spend much time a the beach as a kid, most vacations were spent camping or climbing. On the rare occasions I did make it to the ocean it always felt extra special, like something that I had to savior because there was no telling when I would be back again.
This past October I took a quick girls trip to O’ahu with four friends. Our days were jam packed with beach time, seafood grubbing, and lots on time out on the open water. On our last evening we boarded a 40’ Catamaran on O’ahu’s North Shore for a beautiful sunset cruise with North Shore Catamaran Charters.
Owner Captain Don has been operating cruises on the island for close to thirty years after he moved to the island from California. His beautiful catamaran is appropriately named Ho’o Nanea, meaning “to pass the time in ease and comfort.” Captain Don and his crew run all types of cruises from Haleiwa Harbor including whale watching and snorkeling, to the 2 hour sunset cruise that we took.
While it is possible to rent out the whole boat we joined several other guests which made for good conversations with other vacationers. Despite having 15 people, the boat had plenty of space and didn’t feel crowed at all. Shoes were ditched at the dock as our captain for the day, Skip, welcomed us on board. Just like island life the environment on the boast was casual and guests were welcomed to bring their own beverages and snacks if they felt so inclined. After a short introduction on safety we set sail with White Claws in hand. We chatted excitedly about how beautiful the scenery was as our friend Nicole Wasko snapped photos.
On our way out the wind was so calm that the crew had to use the motors to help propel us forward. The efficient motors were very quiet though and no one could even tell they were being used. Depending on your comfort level you could either sit up front on the net where you might get some surprise splashes of water or move to the back of the deck for more coverage - we opted for the front.
As the island slowly faded from view the sun began to go with it. The unspoiled waters splashed up through the net and we were treated with vibrant hues of red, orange, and purple, creating the perfect cocktail for a Hawaiian sunset. With each minute the tones across the sky would change until the sun disappeared into the ocean completely and the sky turned to a rainbow of deep purples. There’s something comforting about letting go of a day as the sun sinks into the ocean.
The stars started to make an appearance as sky was getting darker and we heading back to the harbor. A part of me wanted to stay out on that catamaran and watch shooting stars dance across the sky but I knew our time was coming to and end. Skip and his crew were upbeat and genuinely friendly, making it obvious that they really loved their job. I’m so glad that we took that cruise and had a front row seat to beautiful Hawaiian sunset on our last night together. If you are every visiting the North Shore of O’ahu be sure to check out North Shore Catamaran Charters, I can’t recommend them enough!
This post was sponsored by North Shore Catamaran Charters. All photo were taken by Nicole Wasko.