*click me for bigger!
The canoe was named in honor of the voyager who first discovered the Hawaiian Islands and is ancestor to all Hawaiians.
*click me for bigger!
The canoe was named in honor of the voyager who first discovered the Hawaiian Islands and is ancestor
to all Hawaiians.
In February*, the first Polynesian voyaging canoe of this century built primarily of traditional materials, will embark on a 6,000 mile journey of rediscovery. The Hawai'iloa will sail from Honolulu to Tahiti, then to the Marquesas Islands, and back to Hawai'i, exploring the open ocean route of early Polynesian voyagers. Throughout the journey, the Hawai'iloa crew will use only ancient methods of navigating by the stars.
*click me for bigger!
This voyage will be the first time in many centuries for a traditionally built Hawaiian canoe to sail to and from the Marquesas Islands, the islands from which early Hawaiian settlers may have come. It is a historic voyage to preserve a cultural legacy and to share age-old traditions with future generations.
The Hawai'iloa will be accompanied by the Hokule'a, a performance-accurate voyaging canoe which first undertook a similar journey in 1976, and by the Makali'i, a canoe named for the navigator to Hawai'iloa. In Tahiti, the Hawai'i canoes will be joined by traditional canoes from New Zealand, Tahiti and the Cook Islands. The canoes will voyage back to Hawai'i in the spring.
* WebDude's Notes: The canoes left the Big Island on Sunday the 12th...Greg's article was the first in local papers and mailboxes.
I first got on board the Hokule'a in 1975. Then it was cultural revival. Now it's about passing it on to the next generation. Everything we've learned, we're passing it on.
I learned a lot about Polynesian culture. Tahiti, Cook Islands--each with its own culture, protocol, spirituality.
You don't have amenities and comfort of a modern boat. Sailing the canoe can be unforgiving. Its one to one, no block and tackle, no winches. As we move towards departure, people get butterflies. That the canoe is ready, but also that the house is taken care of. So you can leave free of all those land things. Out there, its ten or 12 people on a very small deck. You can't really hide.
There's a truth out there.
We have strengths and weaknesses. Apply your strength where someone else is weak, and the canoe moves in harmony.
Some nights it's real mellow out there. There's no running lights, just pure blackness and a bowl of stars overhead.
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