COURTESY U.S. COAST GUARD
The lack of any deck fittings led to the attaching of the towline to the Kolina’s jury-rigged mizzenmast.
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The Kolina was a wooden, 30-foot sailing vessel that was built in Thailand in 1952. When it arrived in Hawaii in 1984, it was named Mekala.
The U.S. Coast Guard investigated the sinking of the Kolina and the death of Lance Alexander, 71, and a review board released a report Sept. 26, finding that:
>> The Coast Guard-established tow of the Kolina resulted in the boat losing its mast and, ultimately, in the loss of a civilian life.
>> The lack of any deck fittings led Alexander to attach the towline to a jury-rigged mizzenmast used in place of the mainmast and improperly supported with polypropylene line in lieu of wire-rope standing rigging. This arrangement was insufficient to withstand the forces generated during a towing evolution.
>> Kolina should not have been in the water because it was unseaworthy, with recurring flooding, a lack of critical navigation and safety equipment, and was in a general state of disrepair.
>> The relationship between the Coast Guard cutter Kiska and Kolina during the tow created a force that induced extra stress on the towline and attachment points of the tow, particularly Kolina’s mast and rigging.
>> The responding Coast Guard units failed to adequately asses the risk associated with the tow.
>> The Coast Guard did not have relevant information on the Kolina’s construction and condition.
>> Enforcement of security regulations of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and Kawaihae harbor security officials led to Alexander anchoring the Kolina outside the protected waters of Kawaihae Harbor, and the boat ultimately drifted out to sea.
>> Darkness complicated the rescue operations.
