ALOHA FRIENDS

Let's go sailing

WELCOME to Pua Ka ʻIlima Sailing Charters and the Kohala Sailing Foundation, offering unforgettable sailing experiences along the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island.

Departing from Kawaihae Harbor, our sailing and snorkeling charters invite you to experience the Big Island from a completely different perspective aboard Pua, our beautiful 42-foot cruising sailboat. With warm waters, steady winds, abundant marine life, and incredible views stretching across Hawaiʻi Island’s volcanic landscape, the Kohala Coast offers some of the best sailing conditions in Hawaiʻi.

Whether you're looking for a relaxing Big Island sailing charter, a snorkeling adventure, or simply a day on the water with family and friends, come experience the Hawaiʻi you can’t see from the road.

Sail the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island

KOHALA SAILING FOUNDATION

PRIVATE SAILING CHARTERS

KOHALA SAILING FOUNDATION

The Kohala Sailing Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to giving Hawaiʻi Island keiki meaningful opportunities to get out on the water and experience the world of sailing firsthand. Through our free youth sailing program in Kawaihae, we introduce keiki ages 11–17 to sailing, navigation, marine science, ocean safety, and the unique marine environment surrounding the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.

But what happens aboard Pua goes far beyond learning how to sail. Time on the water encourages confidence, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and a deeper connection to the ocean and the island we call home. Our goal is to make these experiences accessible to local youth while creating memories, skills, and a love for the ocean that can last a lifetime.

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PRIVATE SAILING CHARTERS

Experience the Kohala Coast from the water with Pua Ka ʻIlima Sailing Charters. Departing from Kawaihae Harbor, our Big Island sailing charters give visitors and kamaʻāina the opportunity to experience hands-on sailing, snorkeling, marine life encounters, and the beauty of Hawaiʻi Island’s coastline aboard Pua, our spacious

Hunter 420 cruising sailboat.

Feel the trade winds fill the sails, take in sweeping views of the island’s volcanic landscape, cool off in Hawaiʻi’s warm Pacific waters, or simply relax on deck and enjoy the ride. Every charter offers a different experience depending on the winds, the water, and what we encounter along the way.

Whether you're visiting Hawaiʻi or call the Big Island home, Pua Ka ʻIlima offers a more personal way to explore the island, away from the crowds and beyond what you can see from shore.

BOOK A CHARTER

Kohala Sailing Foundation | Pua Ka Ilima Sailing Charters - Kohala Sailing FNDN

Sail With Us. Support Local Keiki.

mentor teaching student how to tie a knot

We might be biased, but we think Hawaiʻi looks pretty good from out here. 🌊

Spend a few hours sailing aboard Pua, take in the coastline from a completely different angle, go for a swim, and enjoy a day with nowhere else to be.

Come sail the Kohala Coast with us.

#sailhawaii #bigislandsailing #hawaiisailingcharters #sailing #travel

There’s a lot you can learn in a classroom… and then there are the things that make a lot more sense when you’re actually out on the water.

Aboard Pua, our keiki get hands-on experience with the skills that make sailing possible:

🌬️How to read the wind: Paying attention to wind direction and learning how it determines where and how the boat can sail.

⛵️ How sails actually work: Seeing firsthand how the angle and shape of the sails work with the wind to move the boat.

🧭 How to navigate without Google Maps: Using a compass, headings, landmarks, and what’s around you to understand where you are and where you’re going.

🪢 Which knot to use (and when): Learning that different jobs aboard a boat call for different knots, and practicing until tying them starts to feel natural.

⚓ How to take the helm, Getting behind the wheel, holding a course, and seeing how the boat responds to even the smallest adjustments.

🌊 How to read the water: Paying attention to waves, current, wind patterns, and changing conditions instead of just looking at a screen.

↔️ How to tack & jibe: Learning how to safely change direction under sail as the boat moves in relation to the wind.

Our keiki sails give Hawaiʻi Island youth ages 11–17 the opportunity to learn to sail, completely free.

#keikisail #youthsailing #sailhawaii

POV: you skipped the crowded boat tour and did Hawaiʻi a little differently. ⛵️🌊

Just a small group, plenty of room to relax, the Kohala Coast in front of you, and nowhere you need to be for the next few hours.

Sail, swim, soak up the sun, or just sit back and enjoy being out on the water. This is your vacation, you should get to slow down and actually enjoy it.

And when you sail with us, your charter helps support free sailing experiences for Hawaiʻi Island keiki through the Kohala Sailing Foundation. 🤍

Come spend a day aboard Pua!

#bigislandsailing #hawaiisailing #sailhawaii #sailing

Better than another day of screentime, if you ask us. ⛵️

There’s a lot to learn on a sailboat, but the best part is that it doesn’t really feel like learning. The kids are hands-on from the start, taking the helm, learning the lines, figuring out how the wind moves the boat, and working together along the way.

Add in some swimming, sunshine, and a day out on the water and we’d say that’s a Sunday pretty well spent. 🌊

Our free keiki sails give Hawaiʻi Island kids ages 11–17 the chance to get out on the water and learn to sail with us aboard Pua.

#HawaiiIsland #SailHawaii #KeikiSail #YouthSailing

Consider this your sign to book the charter.

A few hours under sail, warm Hawaiʻi sun, ocean swims, and the Kohala Coast stretching out beside you.

And the best part? Every charter helps make free sailing experiences possible for Hawaiʻi Island keiki.

Come sail with us aboard Pua 🌺

#HawaiiSailing
#SailHawaii
#HawaiiIsland

There’s so much to be grateful for in Hawaiʻi’s waters. 🌊🤍

Today, we’re celebrating the naiʻa, Hawaiian spinner dolphins. Known for their incredible acrobatics, these dolphins spend their nights hunting offshore and return to Hawaiʻi’s protected coastal waters during the day to rest.

Sharing the ocean also means respecting the animals who call it home. Giving naiʻa their space allows us to appreciate them while protecting the natural rhythms they depend on.

A pretty incredible neighbor to have. 🐬

What species should we highlight next in our Species to Be Grateful For series?

#HawaiiWildlife #IslandOfHawaii #ProtectTheOceans #OceanWildlife

Consider this your sign to spend your next free day under sail. ⛵️🌊

Ocean breeze, Kohala coastline, nowhere else you need to be.

Who are you bringing with you? 👇

One of our favorite features aboard Pua? 🌊⛵️
Our sails are made from recycled plastic by @northsails. We think sailing is even better when it’s a little kinder to the ocean. ☺️

What’s one small thing you do to help care for the ocean? Tell us below!

Stress level before boarding: 📈
Stress level after sailing: 😊🌊

Funny how a couple hours on the water can change everything.

Book your escape. ⛵️

⛵️ Pop Quiz!

Think you know what this is?

It's called a self-tailing winch, and it's one of the hardest-working pieces of equipment on a sailboat.

Instead of relying on pure strength, a winch gives sailors extra leverage to pull and control sail lines, making it much easier to adjust the sails smoothly and safely, even when they're under hundreds of pounds of load.

Did you guess it correctly? 👇

Every charter helps create moments like these.

When you sail with us, you’re doing more than booking a day on the water. You’re helping provide free sailing experiences for local keiki through the Kohala Sailing Foundation.

Adventure for you. Opportunity for the next generation.

Book a sail, make a difference. 🌊

Adventure issss... closer than you think. ⛵🌊

You don’t have to travel across the world to find your next adventure. Sometimes it’s waiting just offshore.

Come sail with us. 🤍

🪢 Know Your Knots | Episode 001

Meet the Bowline Knot, one of the first knots every sailor should know.

Often called the “King of Knots,” the bowline creates a strong, secure loop that won’t tighten under load, making it one of the most reliable and versatile knots on the water.

The easiest way to remember it?

🐰 The rabbit comes out of the hole, runs around the tree, and dives back into the hole.

Save this post for your next sailing adventure, and let us know which knot you’d like to learn next! ⛵

The ocean has a way of teaching lessons you don't expect.

Some are practical, how to read the wind, trim the sails, or work together as a crew.

Others stay with you long after you've stepped back onto the dock.

Confidence.
Resilience.
Patience.
Trust.

At Kohala Sailing Foundation, we're grateful to watch these lessons unfold with every Keiki Sail. While we're teaching kids how to sail, they're discovering just how capable they really are. 💙⛵

When you give the kids the GoPro... safe to say they understood the assignment. 🤿🌊

Nothing beats seeing the day through their eyes, big jumps, big smiles, and even bigger memories. These are the moments that make our Keiki Sails so special. 💙⛵

#KohalaSailingFoundation #KeikiSailing #OceanKids #BigIslandHawaii #FutureSailors

Moments like these are why we do what we do.

A day on the water is about more than sailing. It's confidence, connection, adventure, and the kind of joy that stays with you long after you've stepped back on shore.

Every smile, every laugh, every new experience reminds us why creating access to the ocean matters. 🌊⛵️

A post you can feel...
Salt on your skin, the wind in your hair, the gentle sway of the ocean. 🌊

#HawaiiPrivateSailing #BigIslandHawaiiSailing #HawaiiIsland #Sailing

New challenge! Can you tie a square knot behind your back? 🪢

Breaking barriers, building connection. 🌊

By providing free sailing experiences for Hawaiʻi's youth, we're creating opportunities for adventure, confidence, leadership, and lifelong connections to the ocean.

Every sail makes a difference. ⛵️

Recharging our batteries, one sail at a time 🔋

Why our mission matters. 🌊

At the Kohala Sailing Foundation, we’re working to break barriers, create access, build connections, and open the door for more keiki to experience the ocean in a meaningful way.

Because access creates opportunity, and opportunity creates confidence, growth, and possibility.

Another great Sunday Keiki Sail in the books! ⛵️

This week, our young sailors learned how to navigate using a hand-bearing compass, taking bearings and learning how mariners find their way across the water.

There’s nothing quite like hands-on learning out on the ocean. Mahalo to everyone who joined us for a day of sailing, seamanship, and adventure! 🌊

The sound of the ocean, the creak of the lines, and nowhere else to be.

Come join us out on the water! You deserve some ocean time. ⛵️

Learning by doing 🌊⛵ Today’s lesson focused on the science of sailing, understanding wind direction, sail trim, and how a boat can harness the wind to move efficiently across the ocean.

What your day could look like if you book a charter with us⛵️🌊
Sun, salt, sailing, and a whole lot of fun.
This is your sign to get out on the water!

Still soaking in the magic from our fundraising gala event!
So grateful for this community and everyone helping us create more access to the ocean for Hawai‘i’s youth. ⛵️🌊

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@puakailimasailing

WELCOME to Pua Ka ʻIlima Sailing Charters and the Kohala Sailing Foundation, offering unforgettable sailing experiences along the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island.

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Sail the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island

KOHALA SAILING FOUNDATION

PRIVATE SAILING CHARTERS

KOHALA SAILING FOUNDATION

PRIVATE SAILING CHARTERS

Sail With Us. Support Local Keiki.

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Follow us on Instagram

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