The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will remove the sailboat that went aground on the Makua beach area of Ka'ena Point State Park earlier this week.

The state park beach gates will close Makua State Park tonight and reopen it after the boat is removed and any debris is cleaned up.

The boa ran aground on Tuesday. The owner has not been able to remove the vessel, requiring the state to hire a marine salvage company that will use a tug boat to pull the rigged boat out to sea on the high tide.

The beach is being closed as a precaution in the event that a cable snaps or the boat breaks up and causes debris to go into the ocean.

All fuel, oil and batteries have been removed by the U.S. Coast Guard.