HULA GIRL TESTIMONIALS

The following is a review written by Travel writers Wade & Maureen Bissell:

"The Hula Girl is a new 65-foot sailing catamaran custom built for owners Captain Peter Wood and Inca Robbin. Both are experienced owner/operators offering day and evening excursions on the Hula Girl. They are also the owners of two other sailing catamarans, the Shangrila and Kapalua Kai. While the Kapalua Kai has been retired and currently resides in Oahu awaiting new owners, the Shangrila is available as a custom charter service. Wood and Robbin’s website is very nice and provides booking details.

To say the Hula Girl is a beautiful sailing catamaran would be an understatement. It appears that no expense was spared in her design. In fact, she was specifically designed for Captain Peter & Inca. She is equipped with a built-in amplifier system for live entertainment, thereby allowing performers to simply plug in and play their instruments. Guests can enjoy her professional commercial chef’s kitchen and a spacious inside dining and bar area. A larger than average fly-bridge can seat up to 12 comfortably for open air dining or chatting with Captain Peter working the state-of-the-art helm controls. The stern area on the dining deck is open to the sea, as well as air conditioned. A contradiction, one might think, but although the conditioned air does bleed out the stern, it also has a moderating effect on the inside temperature and humidity. I suspect that the effect is more noticeable on hotter, more humid days. Two heads (bathrooms in boat-speak) are available for each gender. All areas on Hula Girl are immaculate and clean.

We took the evening dinner cruise. Captain Peter and Inca are trying something new with this type of cruise. The cost was just under $138, cruise only, for both of us. The dinner and drinks were ala carte. Other competitors also do sunset cruises from Ka’anapali Beach but their food is catered, brought on board, advertized as heavy appetizers (PuPu’s), and are all inclusive: food, drinks and the cruise are included in one price. The food is standard fare – sandwiches, pasta, chicken, etc. Typically, the charge runs about $60 per person. At first glance, you might be tempted to go with the competition but you will be missing out on what makes Hula Girl stand out: a professional gourmet chef cooking your meals on board, and the live entertainment (offered seasonally). For $5 to $23 per plate, you get exquisitely prepared appetizers or dinner. In fact, my wife and I felt this was the best meal we had during our nine-day stay on Maui. That’s right, even the land locked restaurants couldn’t beat dining on the Hula Girl. In case you’re wondering, I savored the grilled Mahi Mahi with lemongrass jasmine rice and cooked vegetables, while my wife enjoyed the filet mignon with garlic mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and cooked asparagus. There are other choices as well. The chef and line cook for our cruise were Mauro Gramuglia and Danny Warren, respectively. I would like to extend kudos to them for their delicious work, especially in the slightly bouncy environment of open-ocean cooking. Bravo.

One boards the Hula Girl directly from the beach at Ka’anapali. Heidi, our greeter and the third crewmember, takes charge in preparing everyone to board. Once underway, the live entertainment begins immediately. Our entertainer, Mr. Netto Peraza, a masterful acoustic guitarist, played to background music overlaying his classical/Spanish-style guitar rifts, setting a truly sophisticated, private yachting feel. In the main cabin, drinks are made from only top-shelf liquors. Tropical drinks are also available, as are non-alcoholic ones. Both Inca and Heidi mix drinks, take orders, and serve while Captain Peter readies the Hula Girl to raise her sails. The concerto of movement with this three-person crew is impressive. Dinner orders can also be prepared and served at the time of your choosing while still allowing for enough time to eat before your return to Ka’anapali Beach. Appetizers, too, can be ordered and are prepared very quickly; we sampled the Potstickers for $5 and they were delicious. This is also the time when you are allowed free-reign of the Hula Girl, walking topside or ascending the ladder (steep stairs to you land-lubbers) up to the fly-bridge to chat with the Skipper.

Along with excellent fare and service, the act of sailing, itself, is sublime. There is something majestic and powerful about shutting down the engines and having the wind carry one silently. Also, you never know what you’ll see. A pod of spinner dolphins graced us with their presence, swimming alongside Hula Girl’s twin hulls, leaping and spinning as if purposefully performing for us. They were obviously having fun, as were we. During the winter months (December through April), there’s a good chance you’ll be able to spot humpback whales and their calves.

Captain Peter, Inca, and Heidi are gracious hosts. They love what they do and it shows. They also care that your time spent on Hula Girl is truly special. I believe once people take a cruise, word of mouth will prevail and it will become one of the most sought after excursions offered. Captain Peter and Inca are trying to create a new experience in Ka’anapali, undoubtedly at some risk. The beauty of a cruise on the Hula Girl is that you can spend only what you want to spend. If you eat dinner before the cruise, you don’t have to buy it on board. Abstain from alcoholic beverages, and you’ll spend only $2 or $3 per drink. Although not something I’m sure they want me to broadcast, they don’t even mind if you bring some light fare with you. In fact, Captain Peter made mention that if we had Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches with us, that would be ok (although I would challenge you to eat the PB&J’s with the visual and olfactory bombardment you’ll receive when they bring out the gourmet prepared appetizers and dinners). But doing so would detract from the complete experience and I wouldn’t recommend it.

All in all, owners Captain Peter Wood and Inca Robbin truly care about providing a positive and eminently unique cruising experience. Most of us come to Maui for the beaches and the beautiful ocean. One of the ways we enjoy taking advantage of this is when we dine; we can sit outside, near those beaches and the ocean. What Captain Peter and Inca have done with Hula Girl, is to ramp this concept up several notches: a gourmet restaurant on the ocean. It just doesn’t get any better than that."

Wade & Maureen Bissell
Cruise Planners
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Dear Inca and Peter,

"I am writing to compliment you on a sail/snorkel sail experience that my wife, Wendy, and I had aboard the Hula Girl on 1/12/10.

On previous vacations to Hawaii and the Caribbean we have taken various snorkel and sunset cruises, all with positive results and a lot of fun, but they all paled in comparison to the total experience that you provided us. By total experience, I am referring to every aspect including: the boat, amenities, food, beverages and crew. We were part of a group of 14 that originated at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua , an organization that is well known for providing the highest level of customer service, and we both felt as though the time we spent on the Hula Girl was an extension of the time we spent at the Ritz.

Your boat described in a single word is incredible. It is not only beautiful to look at; it is spotless and highly functional. That includes the galley, seating, showers and immaculate restrooms. The snorkeling was great and the views of the surrounding islands, whales and mountains from the, dining deck, main deck and especially the flying bridge were spectacular. The food and beverages were delicious. Your chef provided a lunch for us that far exceeded any prior expectation. We both had freshly grilled mahi-mahi that in presentation, quality and flavor rivaled any other meal from the top restaurants that we dined at on shore. Lastly, we want to thank the two of you, your chef and Heidi for providing excellent service. Not only did you immediately make us feel right at home on your boat, but your demeanor, local knowledge, attention to detail and focus on safety all added up to make this trip one of the most memorable ever. I know that I can only describe our own experience, but you should know that our feelings and comments were also echoed by the larger group during our ride back to the hotel. We will recommend the Hula Girl to anyone that we hear that is planning to visit Maui. You have set the bar high for all of our future cruise experiences. Please keep up the great work, we thank you again and wish you all the best."

Regards,
John and Wendy Heath
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Dear Peter and Inca,

"My husband, daughter and I would like to thank you for a wonderful sailing trip last Tuesday. I have been coming to the islands since a very young girl and have gone on many sailing trips during many of those trips. As I told Inca, it was one of my best trips ever! You are both very gracious people, as are your crew members. Your yacht is pristine, clean and beautiful! Your food is terrific, too! We will tell many of our friends and relatives that plan on going to Maui, to take one of your trips!"

Thank you!
Sally Meier and Family