Keep an eye on this page for Namohala Cultural Tours!
A familiar sight at Slip #47 in the Suisan Basin of Wailoa Small Boat Harbor, Aʻu Leʻa has called Hilo her home since 1997, when Don sailed sailed her here from San Diego.
She was not Don’s first boat. He had built the Pele back in the 1950s.
To see a page on the artistry of Don and his love of boats and the sea, visit our business page for LeiManu Designs.
Don’s Daughter, Leilehua, plans to re-outfit Aʻu Leʻa for cultural tours. You can see more at Kaʻahele Hawaiʻi, on Facebook, and on Patreon where our Kilo Hōkū page will be the primary educational page for the star-gazing and other cultural tours we hope to include Aʻu Leʻa in.
Don passed from metastatic melanoma (wear your sunscreen, kids!) in August of 2023. His daughter, Leilehua Yuen, inherited Aʻu Leʻa and is planning to restore the vessel and use her for cultural tours.
To keep track of what we are doing on her, follow us on Facebook!
He called her his lanai, and is remembered for the many weekends he hosted friends on her.
