Crew Blog by Nāʻālehu Anthony

Aloha nui kākou,

The weather today continues to be problematic, making it difficult for us to move on to Tautira to finish our packing and loading of food and water for the trip up to Hawaiʻi. Winds are out of the south at about 20 kts, and the seas at the pass where we need to exit are at 8-10 feet. Rain squalls are persisting through the area frequently with lots of gusty wind in them, keeping the ground pretty well saturated all day. Needless to say, everything on the canoe is wet or damp — with the exception of our spirits, as this community of Mataiea has embraced us wholeheartedly and keeps our hearts and spirits warm.

Patience is the word of the day around here. We have talked about weather dictating arrivals and departures for three years on this voyage, and it is more true now than ever. Our travel plans are guided by the weather, much like the rhythm of the lives of this community. The local fishermen are waiting for better weather right along side us at the community pier, as they too know the potential for mishap in these types of conditions. I think this is also an important lesson for those of us who do not usually take into account how weather can affect our ability to meet schedule demands, outreach opportunities, community engagement, even flights and other travel bookings are all subject to weather delays when it comes to this Voyage. I’m sure it keeps our logistics people on their toes (thank you Ramona, Lita and Heidi!), but for Hōkūleʻa and her crew it’s how it has to be, as these canoes are fragile and we are still thousands of miles away from home.

We’ll be standing by to depart as soon as the weather decides that it’s time to go. At this point, it looks like we will be here at least two more days to allow for this system to pass and for the large swell to come down. Both crews are very thankful for the understanding of our hosts as well as the community at-large for their willingness to adjust as we go.

Me ka mahalo nui,

SB 72

Nāʻālehu

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