Hawaii’s Back yard
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
TRILOGY EXCURSIONS
Trilogy's Underwater Scooter Assisted/Power Snorkel, a high-tech toy that would make James Bond jealous, takes you on an unparalleled undersea exploit.
Eco-friendly tours
reveal Lanai’s lureThe ocean is the Coon family's playground. In the late 1960s, Eldon and Jeannette Coon and their three children, Jim, Rand and Pattie, planned to sail around the world on their 51-foot trimaran, Trilogy.
They spent two years exploring the South Pacific before heading to Hawaii. They figured they would spend a few months here working, touring and re-provisioning before continuing on their incredible journey.
As it turned out, says Rand Coon, "My brother and I not only fell in love with the islands, we fell in love with two island girls, so we stayed."
So did the rest of the family. They settled in Lahaina, Maui, but one of their favorite escapes was the small, undeveloped island of Lanai.
"At the time, Lanai was the world's largest pineapple plantation," recalls Coon. "We would take friends there from Maui, and after a few trips we realized people would pay us to see this special island lost in time."
That marked the beginning of Trilogy Excursions, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Rand, president of the company, never tires of telling Trilogy's remarkable story.
"My dad's dream as a young man was to build a sailboat and sail to the South Pacific," he says. "He became an Alaskan fisherman instead, and after pioneering the eco-tourism business in Alaska in the 1950s and '60s, he lost his boat in a shipwreck.
"But he still had that dream, and with the help of my mom, who agreed to sell the house, and my brother and I, who agreed to work for a couple of years for free, we proceeded to build the first Trilogy. And here we are, 30 years later, still having fun in the sun!"
IN COON'S opinion, Lanai's allure is linked to its location. Lying west of Maui, north of Kahoolawe and south of Molokai, it is the only island in the Hawaiian chain that is surrounded on three sides by other islands. Thus sheltered, it provides a safe arena year-round for sailing, snorkeling, diving and kayaking.
TRILOGY EXCURSIONS
The snorkel sail on a luxurious catamaran goes around the scenic coast of Lanai, home to spinner dolphins, sea turtles and manta rays.
The north shore of Lanai is protected by one of the longest barrier reefs in the state. Harboring one of the largest turtle rookeries in the Pacific, this spectacular 20-mile coast is ideal for paddling, beachcombing and reef exploring during the winter. From April to October, windsurfers and kiteboarders come here to play.
Trilogy Ocean Sports/Lanai lures landlubbers to the sea with six memorable excursions, including the Morning Snorkel Sail, a popular option for families.
This trip aboard the catamaran Trilogy II hugs the scenic southern coast of Lanai, home to hundreds of spinner dolphins.
Snorkeling sites depend on weather conditions, but no matter where Trilogy II's anchor drops, guests can look forward to a grand time, cavorting with green sea turtles, tangs, wrasses, triggerfish, manta rays and more.
To escalate the thrill factor, take off on an underwater spin with USA/Power Snorkel, a high-tech toy that James Bond no doubt would love. USA is an acronym for "Underwater Scooter Assisted." No prior experience is necessary and no minimum age is required to operate the spunky hand-held machine, which weighs about 15 pounds and is the size of a small suitcase.
"Although it doesn't look big, it produces a lot of power and is a heck of a lot of fun," says Coon.
Fun is an adjective that's often used to describe Trilogy's tours, but they are valuable learning experiences as well. All crew members attend company-sponsored cultural workshops and marine naturalist training classes to acquaint themselves with local customs, history and wildlife information they gladly share with visitors.
Knowledge is the key to wise stewardship, asserts Coon. "When you are on or in the ocean, you are literally in another world -- a world where you are the alien species. We work hard to make our trips eco-friendly -- respectful of the environment and the host culture. We subscribe to the scuba diving motto, Take pictures, leave bubbles. We don't feed or remove the reef inhabitants or take coral or lava rocks."
Coon says the ocean continually inspires awe and wonder, even for an old salt like him. He recalls windsurfing with friends in the early '80s between Lanai, Molokai and Maui. Just before sunset, as they were leaving a beach on Lanai's north shore to rendezvous with their escort vessel, they found themselves surrounded by a pod of 20 humpback whales.
"We dropped our sails in the water and sat on our boards as the pod circled us, splashing, spouting and swimming under and around us," Coon says. "Finally, with darkness settling in, we reluctantly sailed back to our boat. A full moon that night seemed to appear right out of the center of Haleakala crater. It lit up the night sky so bright we could see the whales breaching and tail-slapping off in the distance."
Two decades have passed, but the beauty and power of that moment remain clearly etched in Coon's mind. If anything is clear about the man who leads Trilogy, it is that he loves, respects and understands the ocean.
TRILOGY EXCURSIONS
Trilogy Excursions' Marine Mammal Watch tour takes passengers around Lanai's protected coastline, where hundreds of spinner dolphins traveling in pods are often spotted cavorting.
"Our goal is to be good stewards of these islands, and that commitment carries with it an almost sacred responsibility," he said. "We try to share that 'sacred trust' with our guests every day."
Tour: Morning Snorkel Sail offered 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays. Departs from Manele Harbor. Trilogy Ocean Sports/Lanai
Cost: $110 per person and $55 for kids ages 3 to 15. Includes breakfast, lunch, beverages, snacks, snorkeling gear and instruction. A half-hour ride on a USA/Power Snorkel costs $30 more. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Trilogy is offering kamaainas a 50 percent discount on all tours.
Options: Inquire about Trilogy's other Lanai tours, including the Ocean Kayak Adventure; In the Footsteps of Royalty; Discover Scuba (participants must be at least 12); Cathedral Sunrise Special; and Lanai Adventure Scuba (the latter two are for certified divers only). Five Trilogy tours depart from Kaanapali Beach and Lahaina and Maalaea harbors on Maui, including a two-hour whale-watching cruise from December through April.
Phone: Toll-free 888-MAUI-800
E-mail: trilogy@maui.net
Web site: www.visitlanai.com
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer
and Society of American Travel Writers award winner.
