seas again
p. 27 · Read in the full issue
'Hokule’a’ for the high seas again
Within two months, if all goes well, the Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hokule’a will once again set sail toward the South Pacific. The historic canoe, which has successfully made two round-trip voyages to Tahi ti from Hawaii using traditional celestial navigation, is tentative ly scheduled to depart Honolu lu sometime in July.
This time, Hokule’a will travel to the Tuamotus, Raiatea, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, the Mar quesas in addition to Tahiti.
The voyage, sponsored by the Hawaii-based Polynesian Voyaging Society, is an attempt to trace ancient Polynesian migration routes.
The project has a price tag of US $1 million, half of which has been pledged by the Hawaii Maritime Center, the State Legislature, the Alexander Ger bode Foundation and indi vidual contributions.
The 60-foot double-hulled
canoe will be guided by Nainoa Thompson who navigated Hokule’a to Tahiti and back the last time using primarily the stars to show the way. Thompson has studied under the famous Micronesian navigator, Mau Pialug, who was navigator on the first Hokule’a voyage in 1976. Pialug, Thompson and Capt. Gordon Piiainaia will remain aboard Hokule’a during the entire voyage.
An escort vessel will follow
Hokule’a to ensure safety, but according to Myron Thompson, president of the voyaging so ciety and father of the naviga tor, the other ship will not give pass along positions to the canoe.
There will be eight different 12-member crews for the 27month, 16,000 mile voyage.
Myron Thompson said of the trip: ’’Whether all our goals will be possible remains to be tested in the course of the voyage. We are compressing many centur ies in the course of the voyage.
“The voyage from Samoa to the Cooks to Raiatea to the Marquesas is especially perplexing. It is a voyage into a prevailing west wind. Where the ancients might have waited for years for the right sailing conditions, we cannot. The esti mated sail times are only that estimates. ” Floyd K. Takeuchi.
Hokule’a—drawing by Richard Rhodes. From Hokule’a—The Way Tahiti, by Ben R. Finney.