Greeting the crew.

Hōkūleʻa Arrives in Miami

Blogs by Kaipo Kīʻaha

Day 24:December 3

After 1100 miles and 16 stops we made it to Miami today. This will be the final stop for Leg 25.

The day itself was a 9.5 hour run, 77 miles from West Palm Beach. We ducked under several very low bridges and passed through some very crowded areas of the Waterway with lots of boat traffic.

The city became more and more apparent throughout the day as we saw more and more high rises, tourist boats, cruise ships, luxury yachts, and shipping barges.
The weather was warm and cloudy, and our last lunch underway was hamburgers made by Keala Kai and Jackie Meggs. We were accompanied by a small boat, and a sailing canoe as we neared Shake-A-Leg Marina.

They followed us in and a great sigh of relief was exhaled by the whole crew as we made our last and final safe docking. There were a few standing by on the docks to bid us aloha, and it was a quiet non-ceremonious arrival.

We bid farewell to Randy Rickard who will be leaving us tomorrow. First item on the agenda for the morning is to raise our masts back up, change the sails and then raise the spars and booms as well. We will be provisioning food for the next leg as well as completing our manifest and checklists. We will be having some student groups come down to the waʻa this week as well, so we will be keeping busy during the rest of our time here with Hōkūleʻa.

Day 25: December 4

One first full day in Miami was a busy one. We started first thing in the morning with raising the masts, spars and booms, as well as changing out the sails. This took about 4 hours to complete.

After that we were hosted by the folks at Shake-A-Leg Marina for lunch, where they barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers.

After lunch we began our kuleana checklists, inventorying all the various gear and supplies on board. We started with food and water and got through tools, sails, rigging, electrical, makana, safety equipment and everything in between. Around mid afternoon we finished up and were visited by three members of the Seminole nation where we had an exchange of protocol, gifts and stories.

We ate dinner on board and it was nice to sit under the awning and see Hōkūleʻa with her rigging back in place. This week we have a few small projects as well as provisioning food and water, and will be doing some outreach and engagement as well.

**SATURDAY, December 10th: Canoe Tours at Shake-A-Leg Marina from 10 am to 2 pm!**

Help fund the Voyage as we sail the East Coast

Hōkūle‘a’s visit to the eastern United States is a historic milestone in her 40 years of voyaging.

Celebrate with us by pledging your support to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

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Hōkūleʻa Update | November 28 – December 2, 2016

After Hōkūle‘a splashed back in the water once her dry dock was complete, she continues to move south on Leg 25 down the East Coast to Miami, Florida. Each day, crewmember Kaipo Kīʻaha faithfully documents the crew’s work, the weather and more. These 5 days of updates begin in Daytona, Florida.

Day 19: November 28

Today we departed Daytona Marina at 6:30am. We have overcome some challenging weather on this leg, mostly very cold temperatures, but as we are now much further south, the days are quite warmer.

Today, however we had strong southerly winds all day, which contributed to choppy water, challenging steering, and of course wind chill. In the more open waterways or sounds, the canoe rocked and the wind blew almost like we were sailing out at sea. It was comforting, and provided a good change of pace.

On the way, we were greeted by some locals on a bridge who blew a pū and waved and shouted “Aloha!” to us. As the sun set we turned the corner to Telemar Marina, we were sheltered by the wind. The bay is calm and protected, and several dolphins swam by as we slowly crept towards the dock. We tied up the canoe, where we were greeted by another family with ties to Hawai‘i. We finished up dinner and dishes, and packed our bags. Tonight and tomorrow the night the crew is staying at a nearby hotel.

Day 20: November 29

Our Tuesday was spent in port, where we docked the day before at Telemar Bay Marina. The crew was able to relax at the hotel and surrounding area of Melbourne.

We met at the canoe in the morning where we scrubbed down the deck and tidied up. After we finished around lunch time, a local family brought lunch for the crew. A small group of us went to do outreach at Surfside School, which the Leg 19 crew had visited the last school year. Jackie Meggs, Kawika Crivello and Snake Ah Hee presented to a group of 60 fourth graders in the school’s media center. The students were very inquisitive and engaged, and asked lots of questions.

From there, Scott, an owner of a local burrito joint Da Kine Diego’s, who drove us to the school (his son is a fifth grader), took us back to the canoe. We had a couple kids from the school come visit the canoe with their parents after seeing our presentation.

Kanani, a Hawaiian mom of 3, who came to Hōkūle‘a last time she was at Telemar Bay, returned again with her ‘ohana and we were able to sit and talk story with her and reconnect. She was especially happy to be able to ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (speak Hawaiian) with a few of us as well.

After staying with the families till the sun went down, we picked up the rest of the crewmembers and headed to Scott’s restaurant Da Kine Diego’s for dinner. Most of the crew enjoyed their signature insane burritos. While there Keala Kai drew a portrait of Hōkūle‘a on one of the tables and we all signed it. Scott was so honored that he removed the table and will be saving it to be hung up in the restaurant.

Day 21: November 30

We departed Telemar Bay Marina early Wednesday morning after spending about 36 hours there in port. The wind picked up early on and we had some bumpy waters most of the day. I can safely say now however that we have finally made it to warm weather. Even with the wind gusts, a light jacket is more than enough. The temperature reached the 80s at the peak in the afternoon, and most of the crew traded thick jackets and boots for shorts and slippers.

It was our shortest run yet at 56 miles or so. We enjoyed hot dogs for lunch with chips and fresh mango. Shortly after the second watch change, we reached the marina. After docking at Fort Pierce City Marina at around 3pm, we had a few visitors come by and check out the canoe.

Tamiko cooked up some tonjiru – a Japanese pork soup with miso broth. The marina was teeming with marine life as it is a no fishing zone. We saw huge mullets and trevallies as well as dolphins and pelicans.

After the sun went down we were greeted by a local Hawaiian family who brought us chili, kal bi, and pizza. They had visited the canoe earlier in the year when Hōkūle‘a was on her way up. We saw them earlier in the day waving a ti leaf stalk as we passed by. After a few hours of talk story and showing them the canoe, we said goodbye and went to sleep on the canoe.

Day 22: December 1

We woke up at Fort Pierce City Marina and greeted a new day and a new month. Leaving was a smooth process as the wind and current were nice and slacked.

Most of the day was warm and calm, until about mid-afternoon when the wind picked up. We’ve noticed quite an increase in boat traffic as we have made it further south, and many boats have passed by.

One of the folks, Greg, that met us in Telemar Bay Marina gave us a chessboard with seashell pieces. Keala Kai and Tamiko busted it out today and played a game. Shortly after we had a delectable lunch of fried rice, a classic local way to combine leftovers with fresh ingredients and make a great meal.

When we arrived at West Palm Beach, we were greeted by a welcoming party of about 20 people who brought lei for the crew. They were excited to see Hōkūle‘a docked in their city, and we gave them the grand tour on board.

The rain is coming down hard tonight so the crew is at the nearby Hyatt for the night.

Day 23: December 2

We spent the day on Friday in West Palm Beach, Florida. Our first task of the morning was to spin the canoe on the dock and move it back a bit. After that, we scrubbed the deck and tidied up the canoe for tours.

We opened for canoe tours from noon to four, and the weather was perfect for it. Clear skies, nice and hot at about 80 degrees at its peak. I estimate we saw roughly 150 people over the four hours, mostly locals from the area, but some Hawai‘i transplants as well.

After the tours we were hosted at Bradley’s Saloon, a restaurant within walking distance of the canoe. They printed us custom menus that said “Welcome Hōkūle‘a Family” on top and the live county band that was playing there dedicated a song to the crew and the voyage. At the end of the night we gifted our hosts with some makana and took a group photo.

We will depart for Miami Saturday morning at first light. It’s a 77 mile run but there will be 32 bridges along the way, and that doesn’t count the high rise bridges that don’t open. This will be by far the most bridges in one day, and the total almost reaches the amount we’ve gone under so far the whole way down. We will stay at Shake-A-Leg Marina and Sunday we will stand up the rig.

Help fund the Voyage as we sail the East Coast

Hōkūle‘a’s visit to the eastern United States is a historic milestone in her 40 years of voyaging.

Celebrate with us by pledging your support to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

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A bottlenose dolphin peeks out of the water to take a glance at Hōkūleʻa.

Hōkūleʻa Update | November 24-27, 2016

After Hōkūle‘a splashed back in the water once her dry dock was complete, she continues to move south on Leg 25 down the East Coast to Miami, Florida. Each day, crewmember Kaipo Kīʻaha faithfully documents the crew’s work, the weather (frost!) and more. These 4 days of updates begin on Thanksgiving in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Day 15: November 24

Happy Thanksgiving from the Leg 25 crew!

Today we departed Skull Creek Marina, on Hilton Head Island in Beaufort around 7am. As we continued across the South Carolina – Georgia border, a motor cat passed and hailed us on the radio. The captain told us that the upcoming bridge was closed for the holiday weekend. Thanks to his reaching out to us, we were able to anchor in a calm area and drop the masts and spar to be able to pass under the bridge. This was about 11:30. Fortunately today’s run to Kilkenny Marina was short, about 50 miles, so we had time to spare.

The lowering of the rig was smooth and painless. Once we had two anchors deployed off our bow, Julie’s Cat side tied off our starboard stern and the escort crew was able to assist in the process. After the rigs were secured on our railings, we continued on our way.

We arrived at Kilkenny Marina right after sunset, where we docked and Julie’s Cat refueled. Our land wa‘a crew was able to find a Denny’s restaurant 12 miles away that was open on Thanksgiving. Moani took two trips in the van to bring everyone to the restaurant, where we shared a holiday dinner as one crew.

All throughout today we were blessed with hō‘ailona (signs). Dolphins swam by, pelicans flew around us, and a seagull even landed on the canoe while we finished dropping the rig. Not to mention the kind sailor who warned us of the bridge, and other boats passing by waving and yelling out “Happy Thanksgiving!” Much of the crew took the time to call loved ones as well. Mahalo again for keeping us in your thoughts, we are doing well and having a blast.

Day 16: November 25

We left Kilkenny Marina in Georgia this morning about 6:30. As soon as we got off the dock and towed out there was a thick fog that covered the air. We kept the tow line short and our capable Julie’s Cat drivers guided us through the fog carefully and precisely. When the sun came up the fog began to clear and we soon had good visibility which lasted throughout the day.

The weather has been quite good for us, and we are definitely getting used to warmer days and nights as we move south. When the wind is blowing, there’s still quite a chill in the air so we still are wearing layers and going back and forth as the weather warms and cools.

Lunch today was a delicious vegetable soup, prepared by Keala Kai. We arrived at Jekyll Harbor Marina before sundown, and for dinner we had chili and rice. Captain Kalepa remarked that chili and rice is one of his favorites. We were even visited by a local couple from Hawai‘i.

Jekyll Harbor Marina is located on Jekyll Island, and right on the other side about 2 miles away is the Atlantic Ocean. A small group of us decided we wanted to go swimming, so Moani drove us to the beach and we swam under the stars. It was nice to feel sand and salt water again and hear the waves rolling on shore.

Day 17: November 26

We departed Jekyll Island at 7am, and we’re greeted with a nice sunrise. It was quite windy and with wind comes the chill, but we have grown accustomed to the weather so far. We crossed the border into Florida and passed some other islands on the Georgia coast along the way. We saw a large nuclear sub station and went under several more bridges.

After about 9 hours underway we made it to Palm Cove Marina in Jacksonville Florida.The Florida portion of this leg is 400 or so miles, so we have traveled a lot but still have a ways to go. We ate the leftover chili and made rice and got some roasted chicken to have with it too. Once we cleaned up we spent some time showering and preparing our gear for tomorrow.

After dinner a few crew members went to the movie theater less than a mile from the marina to watch Moana. Now we are winding down and settling in on the canoe for a good night’s rest.

Day 18: November 27
We departed Jacksonville at 6am this morning, to prepare for the long trek down to Daytona. Breakfast was a nice warm oatmeal in a cup which helped in the chilly morning wind coming out of the east. At lunch we passed Elkton, which was a bustling port town full of sailboats. We sometimes pass signs of Hurricane Matthew’s damage in the area, sometimes sunken ships or broken docks, which stand out against the backdrop of luxury homes  and large ports.

We went under some low bridges today, which is why we have left the rig down. Some were just above 20 foot clearance. Plenty for us now, but low enough to feel like you can reach up and touch the bottom (but really you can’t).Dinner was a delicious chicken long rice made by Keala Kai using the leftover chicken from last night. The sun set behind some clouds which rolled in after dark. After we docked at Daytona Marina, the wind picked up and some clouds rolled in bringing some drizzles. We will depart again tomorrow at sunrise.

 

Help fund the Voyage as we sail the East Coast

Hōkūle‘a’s visit to the eastern United States is a historic milestone in her 40 years of voyaging.

Celebrate with us by pledging your support to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

Continue Reading
Frost on a port railing cleat.

Hōkūleʻa Update | November 19-23, 2016

After Hōkūle‘a splashed back in the water once her dry dock was complete, she continues to move south on Leg 25 down the East Coast to Miami, Florida. Each day, crewmember Kaipo Kīʻaha faithfully documents the crew’s work, the weather (frost!) and more. These 5 days of updates begin in Little River, South Carolina.

Day 10: November 19

Saturday morning we were blessed with nice warm weather up into the low 70s. The crew was ecstatic to be able to put on t-shirts and shorts. We spent the morning about 9am thoroughly cleaning the canoe and retightening the safety line. The deck and catwalks were scrubbed down, as well as the foredeck and 1 and 7 compartments.After a thorough cleaning, we were visited by a local family from Kailua who now live in South Carolina. They brought us gifts of food and items from a local farmers market.

The afternoon was given for rest and recuperation. Some of us went for a jog, others played music, some read books or wrote in journals, and some napped. We enjoyed a dinner of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and tossed greens in the breakfast area of the hotel where most of the crew spent the night.

Sunday will be spent in a similar way as we prepare to depart on Monday, and push as far south as we can every day. We anticipate reaching Florida possibly by this weekend.

Day 11: November 20

Sunday was another rest day for our crew here at the Coquina Yacht Club in Little River, South Carolina.  Crew members went on various shopping excursions and some stayed back to do laundry and relax.  Breakfast was again at the hotel’s continental meal and lunch was on our own.  Dinner was an easy going pizza and chicken wings.
We had a crew meeting to talk over our plan for the next several days.  The second cold front we were expecting is not looking like it will be here in fact.  So that means we will be able to continue progressing on our course.
Day 12: November 21

Today we departed Coquina Yacht Club at Little River, South Carolina, after spending a little over 48 hours there holding for weather. We left just before sunrise, and the air was a frigid 31 degrees. Much of the canoe was covered with patches of frost. We have been using plenty of hand warmers which are amazing in keeping our hands nice and warm.

Once the sun came out the temperature rose to a tolerable 50 degrees, even on this fully clear sunny day. We enjoyed some warm saimin for lunch which was garnished  with nori. The tow over was quite quick and we were tied up by 2:30pm. Tonight Moani is preparing a chicken stir fry. We are staying overnight at Georgetown Landing Marina, in Georgetown, SC, with departure time set at 6am tomorrow morning for Charleston. As we continue south we hope to chase the warmer weather!

Day 13: November 22

Today we departed Georgetown at first light. We are getting into a steady rhythm of moving the wa‘a everyday. We enjoyed some hard-boiled eggs for breakfast as well as oatmeal and coffee. As we move south, the weather is steady in the 60s at the highest and 30s-40s at night. We layer up in the morning and layer down in the afternoon as it warms up, only to layer up again at dusk.

We are pushing 60-70 miles everyday, but our days are short, just over 10 hours long. We passed through a couple of swing bridges today, and only had to wait for one to open. While we wait for a bridge, we sit there and hold our position with the escort boat and dinghy helping us, as well as some crew on the hoe‘uli and some with the paddles on the bow.

We landed at St. John’s Yacht Club about 3:30pm, where we prepared a dinner of chop steak and rice with corn on the cob. Tonight most of us will sleep on board, and we have an early crew call of 5:30 am tomorrow, where we will head for Beaufort.

Day 14: November 23

As today marks the end of our second week here on Hōkūle‘a, we have reached the southern border of South Carolina. We made it to Skull Creek Marina, Hilton Head Island, in Beaufort, after about 11 hours of travel from Georgetown.

Today was noticeably warmer than the rest of the week, with weather remaining in the 50s-low 60s. At the peak it was warm enough for tee-shirts. It was then we took the time to film some Thanksgiving messages on board for our families and friends back home.

Towing the wa‘a through the ICW is an arduous task, as often we are passing through narrow, shallow channels and making sharp 90 degree turns through windy waterways. Docking every single night also proves extremely challenging as we battle currents to dock at unfamiliar marinas day after day, successfully tying up our 12-ton 62-foot unpowered voyaging canoe. But our crew is vigilant and well trained, as is our Captain, and mile by mile, day by day we are moving south slowly and steadily.

Help fund the Voyage as we sail the East Coast

Hōkūle‘a’s visit to the eastern United States is a historic milestone in her 40 years of voyaging.

Celebrate with us by pledging your support to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

Continue Reading
The sun sets through a port shroud deadeye.

Hōkūleʻa Update | November 15-18, 2016

After Hōkūle‘a splashed back in the water once her dry dock was complete, she continues to move south on Leg 25 down the East Coast to Miami, Florida. Each day, crewmember Kaipo Kīʻaha faithfully documents the crew’s work, the weather (frost!) and more. These 4 days of updates begin in Coinjock, North Carolina.

Day 6: November 15

The morning air was light and crisp as we pulled out from the dock at Coinjock, North Carolina at 6:00am. We proceeded to sail  to our next destination at Dowry Marina, North Carolina, 80 miles away.

IMG_5661While we had a healthy breakfast of eggs, fruit, and oatmeal, we feasted our eyes on the expansive views of the calm Intercostal Waterway. The bright blue sky reflecting on the water helped us keep alert during our three hour watches. After lunch of delectable miso soup created by our cook Tomiko, we passed under the Alligator River Swing Bridge. This impressive bridge literally swung open for us to pass and cars waited on the bridge.

Following the Alligator River, we entered the Alligator Pungo Canal. The rows of autumn painted trees that lined the canal led us to our final destination for the day. We reached the spectacular sunset at the Dowry Marina dock around 5:30pm, where we pulled in and had a delicious curry dinner.

Day 7: November 16

We left Dowry Marina Dock promptly at 6:00am after filling our water bottles with hot water. It was such a breathtaking sight with a razor red sun at our bow and a near full moon shimmering at our stern. We then began on our 78 mile journey down the Intercoastal Waterway once again.

To pass the time off watch, a veteran of the crew, Uncle Mona, shared his knowledge as he patiently taught new crew members how to splice line and lashing. After a lunch of sandwiches, we were treated to magnificent views of a pod of Bottlenose dolphins in the glossy water.

As we sailed, the crew members in the land wa’a experienced views of spacious cotton fields and deer in New Bern, North Carolina. At 3:15pm, we docked at Morehead Marina, North Carolina, where we cooked some Ono fish gifted to us by local fishermen. Afterwards, Captain Kalepa told us the sail plan for next few days.

We are set to leave Morehead Marina tomorrow morning to our next destination in North Carolina 83 miles away tomorrow. On Friday we will reach Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Saturday through Monday we will wait out the cold front until Tuesday morning to continue south.

Day 8: November 17

This morning we left Morehead, NC, at sunrise. This was our fourth day in a row moving the wa’a south down the Intercoastal Waterway. The weather was quite chilly but it was eased by the warm curry breakfast we ate, which was a leftover dinner from a previous night.

The crew has been an absolute joy to be apart of. We are growing more comfortable and familiar with each other with each passing day. What has been a surprise is the shared musical talent many of the crewmembers share. Often we pass the time playing and singing songs.

We passed by many luxury waterside homes and through three swing bridges. At lunch we cooked a wa’a favorite, salmon patties. As the sun became low in the sky we neared Wrightsville Beach near Wilmington, where we eventually docked at the Seapath Yacht Club around 4:00pm.

We were greeted by several passerbys and all were friendly and nice. Some blessed us with a large bag of fresh oysters and shrimp, which we cooked with spaghetti. It was quite the delicious meal. The sunset bathed the sky in a crimson glow, where the silhouettes of paddlers going by reflected on the glassy water.

As we end the day sitting under the stars and sharing stories and laughs, the chill of night has returned. We will spend the night here and leave at 7 AM tomorrow to make the 60+ mile leg to Myrtle Beach where we will wait out a cold front. Departure from there will be on Monday.

Day 9: November 18

At 7:00 am, we left Seapath Yacht Club, where we were lucky to meet many friendly people. After a breakfast of hot cereal and fruit when we left the dock, we entered the Intercoastal Waterway.

While we were underway, Shantell kindly represented the crew on a radio call with Hawaii Public Radio about our current location and things we were seeing. She described the pretty houses with colorful trees and docks, as well as the bald eagles and dolphins. She also told them how we were keeping warm in the cold.

The weather did warm up today, in fact it was 73 degrees as we pulled up to the Coquina Yacht Club in Little River at 4:15pm. There we enjoyed a delectable feast of fresh shrimp gifted to us from the locals, with veggies in saimin created by our crew members Keala and Tamiko. Dinner is always a pleasurable bonding time for crew members where many laughs and memories are shared.

Then Captain Kalepa reminded us of the cold front to arrive tomorrow and booked hotel rooms for us to stay in preparation. We will stay here for the weekend until we set sail once again on Monday.

Help fund the Voyage as we sail the East Coast

Hōkūle‘a’s visit to the eastern United States is a historic milestone in her 40 years of voyaging.

Celebrate with us by pledging your support to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

Continue Reading
Starry night over Hōkūleʻa in Hampton, Virginia

Hōkūleʻa Update | November 11-14, 2016

After Hōkūle‘a splashed back in the water once her dry dock was complete, she continues to move south on Leg 25 down the East Coast to Miami, Florida. Each day, crewmember Kaipo Kīʻaha faithfully documents the crew’s work, the weather (frost!) and more. These 4 days of updates begin in Hampton, Virginia.

Day 2 : November 11

The theme for today was “keep pushing,” as we spent the whole day working on the waʻa.  There are still quite a few small projects for us to finish before Hōkūle‘a is ready to leave again.

The morning started with tying on the safety lines on both sides of the canoe, the shower curtains were lashed on as well as the safety lines, and the safety knives were lashed on too.  Much of the day was spent inventorying the entire canoe’s supplies and provisions. The tool boxes, line boxes, all the deck boxes, and the makana were reorganized and every hatch was manifested and lots of stuff was moved around.

We ate all three meals on deck today and Tamiko was an awesome cook. Some of the crew was lucky enough to go on a shopping trip this evening to Bass Pro, which is an awesome outdoor shop.  It is still quite cold here but it warmed up to 60 degrees at the hottest point today around noon.

We did not get to bending the sails or offloading the extra sails but that is on the to do list for tomorrow.  We are keeping all the main sails (crab claw and Marconi) as well as the smaller headsails.  Randy is coming in tomorrow as well and Moani will pick him up and drop off the vans.  Kalepa and Randy will meet and discuss the sail plan tomorrow.  Departure is looking like Monday or Tuesday, with Tuesday being the better option for weather.

Day 3 : November 12

Today was blistering with wind and cold, as we continued our work on Hōkūleʻa. The main and mizzen sails were tied on, Keala Kai worked on some of the kiʻi lashing with sennet, and we finished up some of the
manifesting and inventorying on board.  Most of the donuts got whipped as well, and we flipped the canoe around so the bow is now facing south. Randy Rickard arrived at Hōkūleʻa in the afternoon today, and we were visited by Bob Puakea as well.  The moon rise was beautiful, near full, and was a nice sight to see before night fell upon us. Tamiko cooked us some Tsampa soup which helped keep us warm.

The plan for tomorrow is for the crew to visit Bob Puakea’s house for dinner, after we spend the morning finishing the lashing on some of the canvas, and finish whipping the donuts.  Kālepa and Randy spoke about the sail plan, and now it looks like we will be leaving Monday at 6am for Coinjock, North Carolina. After that we should have about 5 days of good weather which we will use to keep moving south, day by day.

Day 4: November 13

Early this morning, while still dark, our crew was shocked to find the entire canoe frosted over with ice. It was thick enough where you could hear the crunching under your boots when walking on it. Most of us didn’t stay out long and huddled back into our bunks until the sun came out.

Once it did the weather was quite pleasant indeed as there was light to no wind most of the day. We finished up all of the work we needed to get done today before our deadline time of 3pm. Hokulea and our crew are ready to go at dawn tomorrow. We will be pulling off the dock around 5:45, and heading south to Coinjock. There will be one lock and one swing bridge that we will have to pass through. The lock opens on the hour and the bridge on the half hour. This first leg will be about 60 miles, so tomorrow will be a long day. We are about 10 miles north of the beginning of the Intercoastal Waterway, or Mile 0 as it is called. By the time we reach Miami we will have traversed the entire length of it.

At 3:00, Bob Puakea and friends picked us up and took us to the Mariners Museun where Hōkūleʻa was dry docked. We took a couple hours to explore the museum, which was rich with history and exhibits on maritime culture. Our crew thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit on Polynesian Voyaging which heavily featured Hōkūleʻa and the Worldwide Voyage. We are now headed over to Bob’s house for dinner with some of his ʻohana, then heading back to the canoe to rest up for our early start in the morning.

Day 5: November 14

Today we departed Bluewater Marina in Hampton, Virginia. This was our first time moving the waʻa since the end of dry dock.

After departing at first light this morning, at 0600, we made landfall at Coinjock Marina in North Carolina, at about 1700 hours. The tow over was definitely cold, but enjoyable, with lots of sights to take in, from the industrial city of Hampton to the countryside of southern Virginia. We were blessed with some light rain and slacked wind as we made the roughly 60 mile journey south down the Intercoastal Waterway. After going through one lock and a couple of bridges, we arrived in Coinjock right before nightfall. From there we gathered our gear together and enjoyed a delicious prime rib dinner at the Coinjock Marina restaurant.

Tonight we have some of the crew staying in a house right at the marina, with the rest of us sleeping on Hōkūleʻa again. Tomorrow morning at 0600 we will continue on to Dowry Creek, South Carolina. According to Randy Rickard, our escort pilot, this is the nearest reasonable/feasible stop for us. However, it is a long trek at a little over 80 miles. As long as we continue to have good weather we will keep pushing south everyday.

Help fund the Voyage as we sail the East Coast

Hōkūle‘a’s visit to the eastern United States is a historic milestone in her 40 years of voyaging.

Celebrate with us by pledging your support to the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

Continue Reading

The Land Waʻa

by Nāʻālehu Anthony

As anyone familiar with the first 40 years of Hōkūleʻa and PVS history knows, we’re a deep-sea operation with almost all of our sailing having been in deep and coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean before this voyage. For the last 8 months, our Worldwide Voyage has been on a totally different kind of journey – intracoastal waterways, arrival ceremonies large and small, hugging the eastern coast of North America. The East Coast engagement has challenged PVS because of the volume of people who want to see the canoe, hear about where we have been, and learn about what we have seen. In a word — humbling.

Since touching North America at Key West in March, Hōkūleʻa and her crews have travelled thousands of miles to places like Tangier Island; Washington, D.C.; New York; Maine; Nova Scotia; and the canal and lock systems that link the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River, and the Hudson. The journey has been remarkable, fueled not just by the hundreds of thousands of views and comments on social media, but by the thousands upon thousands of people who personally traveled far and wide to touch the canoe and meet the crew.

This voyage is staffed by just a handful of people, so daily interaction and this level of coordination would be impossible but for the army of volunteers and partners that are equally passionate and have put real effort into making the Worldwide Voyage work. There are so many we want to thank, but today as I think about Hōkūleʻa’s eminent departure from Virginia, I want to spend a bit of time on one organization that has really embodied the spirit and level of interaction necessary to turn an idea like this voyage into something that really has a global reach.

The American Canoe Association (www.americancanoe.org) is a national organization that supports large- and small-scale outdoor watercraft activities, and helped to host Hōkūleʻa and her crews while on the East Coast. Admittedly, Hōkūleʻa is the largest canoe that the folks at the ACA have ever laid their eyes on, but she is still a canoe, and these guys are really passionate about all kinds of watercraft. They were all-in to help from day one, providing PVS with a paid intern for the start of the WWV, collaborating with us about fundraising, and – once we hit the North American continent – everything from finding berths for the canoe and places for crew to stay, or helping with public engagements, to raising and lowering the masts to clear under bridges, the folks at the ACA have been instrumental in our success in our 8 months here on the East Coast.

Perhaps the biggest contribution – at least from my perspective as someone who finds myself in the midst of anything that might need doing from logistics, to communications, to documentation – is the 2015 Subaru Outback loaned to us by the ACA. When Hōkūleʻa arrived to North America in March, a land waʻa crew went to Virginia to pick up the Subaru and drive to meet the canoe near Cape Canaveral. Since that time, the ACA Subaru has been one of the most important tools that we have had. The Subaru has allowed us to drive inland for hundreds of miles to share the story of the canoe with excited kids who couldn’t make it to where Hōkūleʻa was docked. We have used the Subaru to follow Hōkūleʻa’s coastal route, leap-frogging ahead to the next marina where Hōkūleʻa was intended to berth to provide invaluable service by inspecting the dock, talking to the dock master for local knowledge, determining the best approach for the vessels, and using a VHF handheld radio to describe the real-time currents and wind conditions to the captains so that they can anticipate the specific tidal effects, surges, nearby ferry schedules, etc. The Subaru helped us to move crew and gear to the next port, to keep the canoe stocked with the necessary provisions and supplies, to run errands and to participate in events away from the canoe. As Hōkūleʻa has traveled thousands of miles up and down the coast, the Subaru land waʻa has mirrored that voyage, caring for and supporting all of the efforts of the voyage.

Basically, we would not have had the success that we have had – moving the canoe from port to port, meeting with thousands of new friends that are now family to us – without the unending support and energy of Kirk Havens, Wade Blackwood and the ACA. The love and aloha the ACA ʻohana has shown us was actually forged in a happy coincidence about 20 years ago, when ACA flew a bunch of their crew to Hawaiʻi to paddle in the Molokaʻi Hoe for the first time. While it can get pretty rocky in the Potomac where they usually paddle OC-6, the Kaʻiwi channel gets a bit more gnarly than the great river. The ACA crew was advised that they needed to pick up a steersman with some significant ocean time to help them navigate across the Kaʻiwi Channel. They didn’t know how lucky they were to get a friend of a friend to ask and convince pwo Nainoa Thompson to steer for them. Nainoa wasn’t going to race that year and hadn’t made the commitment to steer anyone else, so he agreed to be their steersman for the 41-mile open-ocean crossing. What place they came in is not important, but by the end of that day, lifelong friendships were born. When Wade and Kirk heard in 2012 that we were coming with our very large canoe to the East Coast as part of the Worldwide Voyage, they immediately committed to supporting the effort.

We are almost wrapped up with these East Coast legs – 8 months, thousands of miles on the odometer, about a dozen states and two countries later – and therefore our time with the ACA Subaru. While it really does seem like a blur at times and there is never enough time for us to get to know everyone well enough or engage each community with the depth we would like, we do know that none of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of the American Canoe Association and the people who have embraced us as family.

To ACA, Kirk Havens, Wade Blackwood, and the Havens ʻOhana, mahalo for all that you have done to help us make this voyage a success.

Hōkūleʻa’s Dry Dock Fundraiser

Every year since embarking on the Worldwide Voyage in 2014, Hōkūleʻa has taken several weeks of downtime annually to ensure she is safe, seaworthy and beautiful for the thousands of nautical miles that lay ahead.

Please help fund Hōkūleʻa’s 2016 dry dock efforts.

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DOE Student Video Competition to include a Mālama Honua Category

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (DOE) has created a Mālama Honua category for their 2017 Youth Xchange Statewide Student Video Competition. The DOE supports the Worldwide Voyage’s mission and would like to ask the question of Hawaiʻi’s students – “How do you Mālama Honua?”

In this category of the video competition, DOE is looking for the best examples from schools and students about their own journey of discovery, blending innovation and tradition in solving the challenges of our world. Submissions should be shorts of 1 to 5 minutes. See more information about the competition in the flyer below.17YXC-Malama-Honua-Doe

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