The Telltale · Honolulu – Waikiki – Hawaii Kai

Dockside Chatter

What is a telltale? Look at a sail up close and you may spot short strands of red and green yarn fluttering near the front edge. Those are telltales. When both stream straight back, the sail is trimmed just right. When one droops or spins, the sailor knows to adjust. A small thing that tells you a lot: we liked that, so we named this paper after them.

Makahiki season: In old Hawaiʻi, a new season began when Makaliʻi, the Pleiades, rose in the east at sunset, usually around November. That opened the Makahiki, roughly four months dedicated to Lono, god of agriculture and rain. War was set aside, offerings were gathered, and people turned to feasting and games: boxing, hōlua sledding, ʻulu maika, surfing, and canoe racing. Many communities still celebrate Makahiki today. Look east after sunset this month, and you'll find Makaliʻi, still right on time.

On the Horizon

Nov 5 to 14, 2026 HTA Haleʻiwa Pro presented by Hurley: Pro surfing on the North Shore, run on the best days of the window. · All day @ Haleʻiwa Aliʻi Beach Park, North Shore
Nov 7, 2026 SeaFest 2026: Sailboat racing, live music, Topper relays, a silent auction, and a Morning Light movie night, from the Hawaii Sailing Foundation. · Waikiki Yacht Club, 1599 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu
Nov 11, 2026 Veterans Day Sunset Ceremony: The Battleship Missouri Memorial's tribute to veterans. Free; ride the shuttle from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. · 4:30 p.m. @ Battleship Missouri Memorial, Pearl Harbor
Nov 14, 2026 Royal Regatta: Paddlers and sailors, three races, and one celebration of Hawaiian culture and ocean sport, in its second year. · Ala Moana Beach Park and Waikiki Yacht Club
Nov 27 to 29, 2026 WASZP U.S. National Championships: Foiling sailing dinghies race for the national title on Kaneohe Bay. · Kaneohe Yacht Club, Kaneohe Bay

Club & Harbor News

Send us your club news: Regatta results, a new commodore, an open house, or a member's big trip: send your club's news to The Telltale at thetelltale.ca/submit, and we'll share it with the whole waterfront.

Parking at the Ala Wai: Harbor users have pushed back on the Ala Wai's parking rules, towing, and signs. The state now reads license plates by camera, and a car gets two warnings before it can be towed, so check the signs where you park.

Ala Wai ramp closed: The Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor's launch ramp is closed while the state replaces its damaged floating docks. Work began Nov. 2 and should be done by year's end, weather permitting. Until then, launch at Maunalua Bay or Keʻehi Harbor.

Navigator's Quiz

Facing forward, which side of a boat is port?
Returning from open water, which side do you keep the red buoys on?
A knot is a speed of one nautical mile per hour. About how many land miles is that?
Which star cluster's rising marks the start of the Makahiki season?
Which god is honored during Makahiki?

Flip the bottom edge for answers.

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Nov	Sunrise	Sunset
Sun 1	6:34	5:55
Sun 8	6:38	5:52
Sun 15	6:42	5:49
Sun 22	6:46	5:48
Sun 29	6:51	5:48

Nov

Sunrise

Sunset

Sun 1

6:34

5:55

Sun 8

6:38

5:52

Sun 15

6:42

5:49

Sun 22

6:46

5:48

Sun 29

6:51

5:48

Did You Know?

Steer board: Starboard comes from the Old English for "steer board": early ships were steered with an oar on the right-hand side.

Mayday: The distress call comes from the French m'aider, "help me".

Two seasons: Hawaiians traditionally counted two seasons: kau, the warm, dry season, roughly May to October, and hoʻoilo, the cooler, wetter season, roughly November to April. The exact turning points vary from island to island.

Safe Boating Tip

When the Kona winds blow: Most harbors and anchorages here are sheltered from the usual northeast trades. In winter, though, a Kona low can swing the wind around to the south or southwest, bringing heavy rain and pushing seas straight into places that are normally calm. Watch the forecast for Kona lows, check your mooring, chafe gear, and dock lines before the season, and don't count on a favorite leeward anchorage staying comfortable overnight.

Barnaby's Boating Blunders

The Squid Squirt: While night-fishing, Barnaby successfully hauled a small, jet-black squid over the rail. Fascinated by the creature, he held it up inches from his face to inspect its tentacles, loudly proclaiming himself a master of marine biology. The deeply offended mollusk utilized its final defense mechanism, firing a high-pressure blast of thick, indelible black ink directly into Barnaby’s open eyes and mouth, leaving him stumbling blindly around the deck looking like a chimney sweep.

Knot of the Month

The Bowline

The classic fixed loop: quick to tie, it won't slip or jam, and it unties easily after a load.

Make a small loop, with the part toward the end crossing on top of the standing part. Lead the end down and back up to make the eye, as big as you need. Bring the end up through the small loop from underneath. Take it around behind the standing part. Bring it back down through the small loop, beside its own rising part. Hold the end against the eye and pull the standing part to tighten.

Word Search

Dockside Chatter

On the Horizon

Club & Harbor News

Navigator's Quiz

Photo of the Month

Boater's Almanac

Did You Know?

Words to Sail By

Bilge Humor

Safe Boating Tip

Barnaby's Boating Blunders

Knot of the Month

Quiz Answers

From the Galley

H	H	R	D	O	Y	G	I	F	Y	T	T
O	M	A	I	I	J	D	R	O	G	E	T
B	O	W	L	I	N	E	U	N	R	A	T
T	R	A	K	Y	E	S	I	G	U	G	R
I	F	A	S	T	A	R	B	O	A	R	D
L	R	N	J	M	O	R	B	B	B	H	U
L	E	C	S	O	E	L	D	J	U	J	P
E	G	H	M	T	E	R	J	Y	A	O	N
R	A	O	L	E	A	D	E	T	P	O	Y
C	T	R	K	U	H	A	R	B	O	R	E
T	T	F	T	T	E	L	L	T	A	L	E
J	A	S	C	C	O	Y	E	L	L	A	G

H	H	R	D	O	Y	G	I	F	Y	T	T
O	M	A	I	I	J	D	R	O	G	E	T
B	O	W	L	I	N	E	U	N	R	A	T
T	R	A	K	Y	E	S	I	G	U	G	R
I	F	A	S	T	A	R	B	O	A	R	D
L	R	N	J	M	O	R	B	B	B	H	U
L	E	C	S	O	E	L	D	J	U	J	P
E	G	H	M	T	E	R	J	Y	A	O	N
R	A	O	L	E	A	D	E	T	P	O	Y
C	T	R	K	U	H	A	R	B	O	R	E
T	T	F	T	T	E	L	L	T	A	L	E
J	A	S	C	C	O	Y	E	L	L	A	G

H	H	R	D	O	Y	G	I	F	Y	T	T
O	M	A	I	I	J	D	R	O	G	E	T
B	O	W	L	I	N	E	U	N	R	A	T
T	R	A	K	Y	E	S	I	G	U	G	R
I	F	A	S	T	A	R	B	O	A	R	D
L	R	N	J	M	O	R	B	B	B	H	U
L	E	C	S	O	E	L	D	J	U	J	P
E	G	H	M	T	E	R	J	Y	A	O	N
R	A	O	L	E	A	D	E	T	P	O	Y
C	T	R	K	U	H	A	R	B	O	R	E
T	T	F	T	T	E	L	L	T	A	L	E
J	A	S	C	C	O	Y	E	L	L	A	G