Many types of boaters, little power to sway

As this column has always focused on recreational boating, I have periodically been asked how I would define that term -- and particularly as it's understood in Hawaii.

Initially, the question seems easy enough; still, with a bit more analysis the answer can become surprisingly complex.

Webster defines recreation as, "refreshment by means of a pastime, agreeable exercise, or the like." So with "boating" added to that definition, the concept appears rather simple.

However, after spending any appreciable time near our islands' marinas, the diverse nature of our recreational boating community becomes apparent.

To the uninitiated, perhaps the first impression upon viewing the forest of masts in Oahu's Ala Wai Harbor would be that recreational boating is mostly about sailing. And for that harbor, they wouldn't be far wrong.

The usually favorable tradewinds and protected waters of Mamala Bay make the Ala Wai a favored mooring location for many of Oahu's sailors. Yet, even among the sailors, there are a number of sub-types.

Take a poll and you will find some with a passion for organized competition and on any given weekend, they will be offshore "racing the winds of paradise."

Then there are other sailors who, while perhaps not as frequently, enjoy taking their boats on extended cruises of the islands in a more individual, leisurely fashion.

Substantially less active is the category of sailor who may not have left port in years, but perhaps still dreams of sailing off into the sunset one day. For this recreational boater, simply going aboard and puttering around is the "refreshment" he or she looks for.

Along with the sailors are the powerboat owners in the marina who similarly have a wide range of boating interests, from active fishing and cruising to those whose vessels have become permanently attached to the docks.

Looking statewide, at least two-thirds of the boat owners in Hawaii don't moor their boats in a marina and often don't even consider themselves "recreational boaters."

They are, of course, the owners of the trailered boats we often see early in the morning heading down the highway for a launching ramp in Waianae or Haleiwa. They most often will identify themselves only as fishermen.

It could be they feel the nature of fishing, and particularly subsistence fishing, disassociates them from recreational boating in general. Yet, there is little doubt that they too find "refreshment" in their fishing, even when the catching is poor

Ultimately though, it is the diverse nature of Hawaii's recreational boaters that seems to diminish the power of their collective voices to both the Legislature and the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

In both cases, those governmental entities listen to whoever is the loudest or has the most time, they call for another hearing or study, and then do whatever is the most politically expedient.

Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu. To reach him, e-mail raypendleton@mac.com.