Superyacht Visit Sparks Concern

When a superyacht dropped by Molokai for a visit on Jan. 10, many residents were left with questions regarding the incident.

The boat has been identified as the Liva O, a pleasure yacht measuring over 360 feet long and weighing over 5,000 tons. Owned by German American billionaire businessman Stephen Orenstein, the ostentatious superyacht had been sighted off Maui’s Maalaea Harbor in the preceding weeks before coming to Molokai.

A boat of this size is unable to dock at Kaunakakai Harbor, even just for recreational activities, according to the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR).

According to a DOBOR spokesperson, the Liva O acted within DOBOR rules, as it moored off the harbor, using a dinghy to ferry passengers from the yacht to the wharf. If the yacht had moored off the harbor for over 72 hours, then it would have needed a temporary mooring permit to come to the harbor and use the boat ramp. Because the dinghy was launched from the yacht, it also did not need a temporary mooring permit to utilize the boat ramp.

Even though the yacht and crew operated within these restrictions – somewhat circumventing them by using the dinghy – many Molokai community members were concerned by the presence of the vessel and what its visit represented.

The main concern from residents regarded the intentions of the owner of the yacht, along with larger trepidations about what visits from billionaires – and larger size vessels – could mean for the Molokai community.

“We’re dealing with something we can’t control,” explained Molokai activist Walter Ritte. “But we can try to prevent more of these kinds of things from happening. All the guys with big boats are going to talk to each other and say ‘Don’t go to Molokai, it took half a day just to get on the island,’ so I think it’s a good message,” explained Ritte about the encounter with the yacht’s crew at the wharf.

When the dinghy came ashore with crew members, Ritte helped lead dialogues between the crew and a group of residents that gathered at the wharf after receiving phone calls about the yacht’s appearance. A representative from DLNR was also present at the wharf as community members and the yacht’s crew talked.

Ritte explained that after speaking with the boat captain and laying out protocols from the community, he felt the incident had been resolved to his satisfaction.

“Getting to talk to the captain was the key,” said Ritte. “He realizes it’s a one-shot deal. He’s not coming back.”

According to Ritte, the yacht’s passengers had signed up for a tour with a local resident, and then the yacht would be making its way out of Molokai waters that night.

“So far what impressed me was the amount of [Molokai] people who showed up,” said Ritte. “We’re so protective of our island.”

Large ships appearing near Molokai have a history of stirring up anxieties amongst residents. In 2017, Ritte had a similar encounter with the yacht of a Russian billionaire who made a surprise visit to the island. In 2012 Molokai residents staged various protests regarding the arrival of American Safari Cruises’ Uncruise Adventures’ boat that continues to dock seasonally on Molokai.