The owner of the 36-foot sailboat No Faith that went up in flames at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor on Monday night didn’t have insurance and had been in the harbor illegally since at least September.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Enforcement (DOCARE) issued Salvatore Di Amore, 57, a complaint for mooring without a permit on Sept. 8, 2017. He was summoned to appear in court on Oct. 16, 2017, but he failed to appear and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Another bench warrant for his arrest was issued June 12, when he missed the rescheduled court appearance.
DOCARE and the courts didn’t know where Di Amore was for months and the Star-Advertiser could not reach him on Wednesday. But on Monday night, he was on the pier talking to reporters as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. Di Amore, who does occasional work as a handyman, told the Star-Advertiser that he lost everything in the blaze, which occurred about 8:30 p.m. shortly after he stepped away from the boat after a little tiff with a visitor. Witnesses said the flames were 30 feet high.