Photo of the Month
Mahina
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
Add these events to your calendar, and every month's after them.
Get hooked up
Rods, reels, lures, and tackle, plus mooring gear, boat maintenance, and safety supplies. At Pier 38 in Honolulu, and online.
Snorkel with turtles
Daily turtle snorkel trips, a 5:30 sunset sail every night, and private charters aboard the 40-foot catamaran Kahala Kai, from Kewalo Basin.
Hungry after a sail?
Hawaii grass-fed beef smash burgers with Boss Sauce and crinkle fries. In Chinatown on Nuuanu Ave, and the Waikiki food truck.
Gear up at Pier 19
Boat parts, safety gear, fishing tackle, sailing hardware, and paddleboards at West Marine's flagship Hawaii store. Open every day.
Gear adrift? Get it back!
Free QR decals for your kayak, SUP, or dinghy. Found adrift? One scan reaches you and tells rescuers no one's in the water.
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.
Spot the Burgee
Win lunch!
Our burgee hides in one of this month's ads. Tell us which by November 30.
Spot the Burgee
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?
Show the quiz answers
- The left
- The right: "red, right, returning"
- 1.15
- Makaliʻi, the Pleiades
- Lono
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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.
From the Galley
Li Hing Mui Pineapple
Cut a ripe pineapple into spears. Toss them with 1 to 2 tsp li hing mui powder (the salty-sweet dried plum powder from any crack seed store) and a squeeze of lime, and chill for 30 minutes.
Aboard: A cold, tangy snack straight from the cooler on a hot afternoon, and it needs no more than a knife and a container.
Words to Sail By
“Only two sailors, in my experience, never ran aground. One never left port and the other was an atrocious liar.”
“Do not tell fish stories where the people know you. Particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.”
Bilge Humor
Sorry for what I said when I was docking the boat.
What did the lake say to the sailboat? Nothing. It just waved.
My biggest worry is that when I'm dead and gone, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it. (Koos Brandt)
Word Search
Theme: On the water
| 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 |
ANCHOR · BOWLINE · BUOY · GALLEY · HALYARD · HARBOR · KEEL · MOORING · REGATTA · STARBOARD · TELLTALE · TILLER
Boater's Almanac
| 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 |
Last quarter 1 New moon 8 First quarter 17 Full moon 24 Last quarter 30
Honolulu
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.
Mail, wherever you sail
A Honolulu mailbox you can check online 24/7, so your mail keeps up with you while you're out on the sea.
Run your club, simply!
Slips, members, boats, events, regattas, and billing, plus more! All in one place for your yacht club.
Stay safe out there
A safety theme every month, with tips for boating, paddling, fishing, camping, and more.
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.
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