nā pali coast · Christian Collins · CC BY-SA 2.0 · cropped
Correction and update, September 15, 2026: An earlier version conflated Port Allen Small Boat Harbor with the separate main Port Allen Harbor and incorrectly implied that the small boat harbor closure prevented departures by operators based at the main harbor. We have corrected the headline, summary, and advice. Capt Andy’s says main harbor access has been restored, but it is still assessing conditions and has not announced when its tours will resume.
Port Allen Small Boat Harbor on Kauai remains closed until further notice after Hurricane Lowell, according to the state boating division’s closure notice. It is not the same facility as the main Port Allen Harbor. In a September 15 statement to Deep Arrival, Capt Andy’s said official access to the main harbor had been restored, but the company was still assessing conditions and had not announced when its tours would resume.
If you hold a Na Pali boat tour booking for the coming days, contact your operator directly before traveling to the harbor, because cancellation windows vary by company and boats cannot simply relocate to another harbor. While you wait for fresh harbor updates, you can compare land based alternatives in our guide to things to do in Kauai.
- Small boat harbor: Port Allen Small Boat Harbor remains closed until further notice.
- Main harbor: A separate facility; Capt Andy’s says official access has been restored.
- Tour status: As of its September 15 statement, Capt Andy’s is assessing conditions and has not announced a reopening date.
- Also closed: State notices list Kikiaola and Kukuiula small boat harbors as closed.
- What to do: Confirm your specific departure and check-in location directly with your operator.
Port Allen Small Boat Harbor Is A Separate Facility
A September 14 Beat of Hawaii report described storm damage at Port Allen Small Boat Harbor after a weekend visit. That report concerns the small boat facility. Damage and closure notices for that facility should not be used to describe the operating status of the separate main commercial harbor.
The state boating division’s current Port Allen Small Boat Harbor page continues to carry a closure notice. Its notice does not establish that all access to the main Port Allen Harbor is closed, or determine when each tour company using the main harbor can resume departures.
What Capt Andy’s Says About Tour Availability
Capt Andy’s Sales and Marketing Manager Jaye Moreau told Deep Arrival on September 15 that Capt Andy’s, Holo Holo Charters, Blue Dolphin Charters, and Kauai Sea Tours operate from the main Port Allen Harbor, not Port Allen Small Boat Harbor. Moreau said access had been restored while Capt Andy’s continued its own safety assessment. The company will announce a reopening date when it is confident tours can resume safely; restored harbor access is not a confirmation that tours are running.
Separately, the boating division lists Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor and Kukuiula Small Boat Harbor as closed until further notice. Confirm the departure facility for your particular sailing or raft trip with the operator. A closure at one facility should not be treated as a blanket closure of every Na Pali departure point.
Why Tour Boats Cannot Just Move
The obvious question is whether affected companies can shift boats and passengers to an open harbor. Commercial tour operations need state permits tied to specific harbors, and Kauai harbor capacity is limited, so an undamaged boat cannot simply relocate and start carrying passengers. Beat of Hawaii notes that visitors should check with their operator rather than assume a booked trip will depart from somewhere else.
Port Allen has two distinct facilities: the DLNR managed Small Boat Harbor and the adjacent main commercial harbor under the Hawaii Department of Transportation. HDOT includes Port Allen in its commercial harbor system. Capt Andy’s September 15 statement says official access to the main harbor has been restored. The small boat harbor closure remains a separate issue, and passengers still need operator confirmation before traveling.
What About Hanalei
Hanalei on the North Shore offers one possible alternative, with the advantage of starting much closer to the Na Pali Coast than west side departures. The problem is the calendar. North Shore boat operations are seasonal because winter surf makes Hanalei increasingly unreliable, and some operators end their regular season around late September. As October approaches, Hanalei cannot replace the year round capacity that Port Allen and Kikiaola normally provide.
Our earlier storm coverage tracked Lowell’s approach toward Kauai. The distinction now is between individual harbor closures, restored access at the main Port Allen Harbor, and each operator’s decision to resume trips. None of these alone establishes availability for every Na Pali tour.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold a Port Allen tour booking this week | Contact your operator. Restored main harbor access does not confirm that your particular departure will run. |
| Hold a Holoholo Charters booking | Ask Holo Holo Charters for its current sailing status and check-in instructions; do not rely on an earlier cancellation cutoff. |
| Hold a later September or October booking | Confirm your reservation, departure facility, and cancellation terms directly. Capt Andy’s had not announced a reopening date in its September 15 statement. |
| Want Na Pali views while boats are down | Consider land based sightseeing while waiting for your operator’s confirmed tour update. |
Check the facility. A Port Allen Small Boat Harbor closure is not a closure of the separate main Port Allen Harbor.
Check the operator. Capt Andy’s says main harbor access is restored, but its own tours remain subject to a safety assessment and a reopening announcement.
Check your departure. Do not infer a sailing date from an old cancellation cutoff, another company’s announcement, or the reopening of harbor access.
Are Port Allen boat tours running?
Confirm with your operator. Capt Andy’s said on September 15 that access to the main Port Allen Harbor had been restored, but it was still assessing conditions and had not announced a tour reopening date. The separate Small Boat Harbor remains closed.
Will my tour leave from another harbor instead?
Do not count on it. State permits and limited harbor capacity restrict where commercial tour boats can operate, so confirm with your operator rather than assuming a new departure point.
Is the commercial port at Port Allen open?
Capt Andy’s told Deep Arrival on September 15 that official access to the main Port Allen Harbor had been restored. It is a separate facility from the closed DLNR managed Small Boat Harbor. Restored access does not mean every operator has resumed tours.
What damaged the harbors?
The state closure notices concern the small boat harbors following Hurricane Lowell. They should not be read as evidence that the separate main Port Allen Harbor is still inaccessible.
