Lost At Sea: The Ghosts Of Hana Bay

Sunday morning Hana Bay was as flat as a pond with a gentle southerly breeze under a clear sky. These were unusual weather conditions for the windward coast of Maui. Normally, the ocean churned with white water and gusty tradewinds produced cloudiness and frequent rain. It was the perfect day to go fishing offshore since the fish always hit best when the water was calm and the sun shining.

Each of the five men planned to work that day, even though it was a scheduled day off from their regular jobs. On weekends a lot of work got done in Hana -- car repairs, carpentry projects, helping a neighbor, digging a luau fire pit, feeding livestock, weeding the vegetable garden. It was a way to preserve the traditional homesteading lifestyle while working for wages.

When Ralph saw how calm Hana Bay was, he couldn't resist the temptation to go fishing. He had the use of a 17-foot Boston Whaler named the Sarah Joe and he contacted Peter, the son of the Hana Ranch manager, and their friend Benny. Ralph also called Pat and Scott, two long-haired haoles who played in the Hana softball league.

The five men met at Hasegawa General Store to buy gasoline, beer, bait, ice and snacks. Hasegawa's was a small country store that offered an amazing variety of goods. The owner was Harry Hasegawa, a short jovial man who called his customers by their first names. He laughed and politely declined when one of the men asked if he wanted to go fishing that morning.