We just returned from an amazing 6-day family trip on the Blaze II with captain Kim and first mate Desmond. We had a really wonderful experience, sailing, snorkeling, water scootering, paddle boarding and eating to our hearts content. We slept under the stars several nights on the upper deck, (leaving behind our comfortable cabins below). Despite two days of rough weather, captain Kim made sure we were safe at all times and also managed to take us around Lana'i, sightseeing and having a nice dinner on land. We saw big sea turtles, lots of whales and dolphins and lots of colorful fish snorkeling around various reefs. We had the experience of a lifetime and can't recommend this enough. read more

Complete scam!!! Do Not book this charter, this boat is nothing like the pictures advertised, it is very outdated, and filthy! March of 2024, we chartered Captain Kim's boat for a week long trip, with the understanding that included in our cost, we would have a private chef on board, a steward, and captain. As well as excursions such as snorkeling, fishing, ATV, hikes to waterfalls, etc. Upon arrival to the boat, we noticed that it did not look like the pictures. It was weathered, and not maintained at all, very dilapidated and dirty. It actually remined us of the movie Captain Ron when we first saw it. We thought to ourselves, what did we just get ourselves into? We were of course taken back by this, but knowing that the fires had just happened a few months before at the dock where the boat was, we wanted to give her a chance and didn't want to start our trip off on a bad foot, bad mistake! As soon we got on the boat, Capt. Kim mentioned that there would not be a chef because they were sick, and that she would be preparing our meals. We had paid an extra $1000/per day for a private chef that did not show, and of course no refund or credit was offered for this. She also told us that her fridge hadn't been working, and that she was storing all the food in coolers on the deck of the boat ( on the 2nd day, we opened the coolers to find mold and warm food). When we went to our cabins, we noticed the smell of sewage, it was so bad that I became nauseated and had to leave the room immediately. The bedrooms and bathrooms were so filthy, that we slept outside for the first 2 nights on the boat (these were the only nights that we stayed on the boat). Day 1 she anchored us on a coral reef, (which I believe she was already under investigation by the State of Hawaii, for doing previously) by the highway, where we stayed the night. The next day she spent most of the morning having our husbands help her pull up an anchor that wasn't working and stuck on coral (she was actually treating our husbands as if they were her hired help). When we finally fixed the anchor, she had to run the grocery store because Captain Kim completely ignored our preference sheet and didn't purchase the items that we paid for and requested. When we got close to the dock, Capt. Kim and her deck boy jumped in the dingy and left us alone on the boat while they ran to the store. I had always thought that a Captain of a boat wasn't allowed to leave their boat during a charter????? When she arrived back, Capt. Kim spent the rest of the day complaining and lying to us, telling us how inconvenient this was for her, that she had "originally gotten what we asked for but for got to pack it", that she "lost the list", etc. and that "we should be happy with what she had for us". Side note, we had paid her a lot of money for this week long charter, that she had no business chartering. (Not to mention scolding us when we questioned her lack of planning and professionalism.) After this ordeal, it was too late to travel to another island, so back to the highway and coral reef we headed, where we spent night 2. So day 3, we were still at the same island, but were able to talk her into moving to the island where she promised a water fall trip by 4 wheelers. When we arrived, she said the 4 wheelers weren't working and that it was too late go to the water fall ( it was maybe 3:00pm and sunny out). At this point we decided to sit her down and talk to her about how disappointed we were and this trip was nothing at all like she advertised, definitely a bait and switch. She started the conversation with "just so you know, there are no refunds!", that "it wasn't her job to entertain us" and then requested that we leave her boat. I would also like to mention that she called me a "crippled person'" and didn't understand why my family would have brought me (I was in a walking boot, far from disabled, either way it was extremely offensive ). So on day 3 out of our 7 day trip, we packed our bags and she actually dropped us at a small boat launch, where she left us. Thankfully there was a very sweet local lady who drove up to us to make sure that we were ok, seeing how it wasn't normal for anyone to be stranded on that boat launch with luggage and no boat. She helped us find our way to the only airport on the island. Luckily we were able to get a flight back to a larger airport, where we were then able to get a flight back to the main island. From the moment we arrived on her boat, she was extremely unprofessional, and treated us like we were a bother to her. In my opinion, she wasn't planning on completing this charter. She did what she could to get us to complain, take our money, and leave us stranded!!! Please learn from our mistake and run as far away from "Captain" Kim (I truly doubt she's a real Captain), she is a scam artist and should be in jail. read more

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I had a wonderful time on my trip with Hawaiin Charters. Two of my friends and I spent four nights and five days on the Blaze 2. It was a memorable way to experience Hawaii that was relaxing and exhilarating. It was relaxing in that is a very comfortable boat. It is a 65-foot catamaran, and we all had our own cabin with an attached bathroom. There were many pleasant places to be on the boat, up top, on the trampolines on the bow, or in the cushioned stern area. Our Captain Kim ensured we were comfortable and safe. She served us plenty of fresh, delicious food, even accommodating my gluten-free diet. She had an assistant skipper, Tommy, who was very helpful, kind, and patient, and a cute little dog assistant called Rita. It was exhilarating. Being on a boat gave me incredible unique views of the islands and the sea and the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. It was so easy and fun doing it off the back of the catamaran. We sailed to Moloka'i harbor and around Lanai Island after anchoring, snorkeling, and kayaking at incredible spots. It was so beautiful that a friend and I slept outside on the trampolines one night to sleep under the stars. We saw sea turtles, dolphins, whales, sea birds, and an incredible amount of fish. It wasn't cheap, yet the experience was priceless, well worth the money for this incredible trip. read more

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The Blaze II is a gorgeous and super comfortable catamaran with nice cabins and bathrooms, and has an exceptionally smooth ride. Captain Kim knows the boat inside and out, and is a consummate sailor and hostess. I felt safety was always a top priority. She was also a fine cook and hostess, serving delicious, healthy meals. We went to some very unusual spots in our four days on the boat, seeing rare and beautiful marine fish and mammals. I highly recommend this experience. read more

Awesome boat, very friendly and professional crew, we had an exceptional experience, we saw whales an dolphins it was magical. Kim is very kind and knowledgeable, will definitely come back read more

First off, buyer beware: After contacting Ocean Recreation Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources I have confirmed they are not following safety procedures nor do they have a license or permit to be operating. The state of Hawaii could find no business licensing information and I was denied an answer for permits or license information after requesting it from the "company" three times. No license, no permitting and unsafe operations, likely no insurance in the likelihood there's a mishap. Read on to hear the misfortune we had when we booked with them... After spending weeks researching sunset sails for the a special scattering of our fathers ashes, We booked with a different company than this and learned the sail was canceled the day of by the prior company. After calling around, we found this company that said they could happily accommodate us... We spent $2500-which would have been worth it if we were given the experience that was communicated and that is also on par for that price range as we had done our research prior to committing... Instead what happened was, our mother, sister And five children were loaded onto an inflatable dinghy with a failing engine that died several times on our way out to the catamaran, with life jackets that did not fit all the children who needed them, none offered to the adults...Had my husband not had expertise with mooring, I have no idea how our five children, myself who is pregnant, and our mother would have safely gotten out of that dinghy and onto the boat or off the dinghy and onto the dock at the end of our journey. It was communicated to us that we would be offered food and beverages, definitely expected at that price range (as I said, we did our research). Apparently there was a cooler "full of waters," and an uncut pineapple on the dining table we were welcome to, except for nobody communicated that to us nor would that be even sufficient for the price we paid. The sail was 30 minutes later then we paid for, the crew did not welcome us at all but merely allowed us on the boat and what I mean is that they did not engage with us, told us "not to touch certain things to make sure that it could save our lives if we needed it to." Then, as our family was getting ready to pray and have our special time of saying goodbye, I look up and see two of the "crew members" smooching and cuddling on the roof of the boat right behind us. I guess they were too busy to actually provide any kind of service. There was no communication about where anything was, we had to ask where the bathroom was, turns out the catamaran was actually the captains house-not professional to be living on a boat that is used for business. It was a terrifying ride. I know that the waves cannot be controlled but I do think there is something to be said about the Sailor and their expertise. I was told I could pay via send money to a friend on PayPal. I can now see this was a way of avoiding any kind of recourse as I was exploited in the midst of us trying to make a special time happen for us to say goodbye to our dad. I find it very interesting that I've seen other negative reviews in which the owner offers a "full refund" when Kim communicated to me that she is "a small business" but also that the owners are located in London? Very shady. Back to the dinghy, it honestly felt like a rescue boat taking me back to shore after a perilous ride, Except for the engine continue to fail the entire journey back to the dock. Beyond The fact that I feel absolutely scammed, I can never redo the opportunity to say goodbye. read more