The sun set, but the distant lights of Honolulu persisted on the western horizon. We bounced and thrashed through increasingly chaotic seas. For almost a month our view had been water, sky and celestial bodies. Running past Makapuu Light, reaching around Hanauma Bay and churning toward the Diamond Head buoy we stood on the deck, hung on and drank in the scene. From offshore at night, Oahu is a magical place.
Suburban streetlights cascade down the ridges and valleys like streams of lava.
The ocean subsides, the trades drop to a gentle breeze and Hawaii embraces you. Wai entrance the eastern sky brightened. We dropped the sails and quietly started the motor. Coming up the channel, we saw the dawn patrol waiting in the lineup at Kaisers to catch the first clean waves. From that unforgettable day, Hawaii has been home.