April 17: After a Blessing, Hōkūle‘a Departs

On Monday, April 16, Hōkūle‘a received a blessing for her upcoming World Wide Voyage from the Dalai Lama, who was visiting Hawai‘i.

For photos  and video of the blessing, see KITV’s report Dalai Lama blessing voyaging canoe on final day of [his] Hawaii trip.

At 6 pm on Monday, Hōkūle’a left Hakipu’u-Kualoa for Kauna‘oa Bay, on the west coast of Kohala, on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. This is the first stop in her Statewide Sail, scheduled for April 16 to August 7. After Kauna‘oa, Hōkūleʻa will head for Kawaihae, north of Kauna‘oa, for a week-long stay.

Click here for a map and schedule of the 2012 Statewide sail. Click on icons on the map for background information about the stops.