Before traveling to Molokai, Hikianalia spent time on Maui; while there, Maui Nui crewmembers engaged in outreach and crew training.  See below for a blog by crewmember Al Nip about a training sail in the ʻAuʻau Channel.

Crew Blog by Al Nip

Although this day was light in winds and ocean breezes, it was heavy and rich with opportunities for crew training as the Maui crew-in-training traversed the ʻAuʻau channel between Maui and Lanaʻi aboard Hikianalia and her escort Hoʻokela.

From getting off the mooring and hooking up the tow to Hoʻokela, to securing Hikianalia back on the mooring at the end of the day, the crew was able to participate in a wide range of training exercises. Highlights included steering and sailing the waʻa to Shipwreck Beach on Lanaʻi, putting up the jib and raising and closing the main sails, even making lunch… and the most important canoe kuleana (responsibility): cleaning and prepping the canoe at the end of the sail for the next leg of the voyage.

Perhaps the most inspiring segment of this training day was a video connection with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at Princess Nahiʻenaʻena School in Lāhaina.  Students enthusiastically posed many relevant and interesting questions to Kala Baybayan Tanaka, Kaipo Garcia, and captain Tim Gilliom. When Kala was asked “Why did you decide to go on this journey?” she replied, “to bond with my father, Chad Baybayan, to understand what he loved so much about voyaging.” Tyrone C., a 5th grader, asked, “What was your greatest challenge?”  The answer, “seasickness and not being ready for the voyage.”  Another student asked the very important question “Have you run into pirates?” considering Hōkūleʻa sailed off the coast of Africa and Indonesia, where pirates are prevalent.  The reply was “so far, no pirates, but we’ve seen whales, dolphins, and other sea mammals.” Kaipo was asked “How do you prepare for a voyage”, to which he replied “the mental and physical preparation was most important to have a successful journey.” At the end of the school day, Tyrone said that what he learned from the video hookup with Hikianalia was that “it takes a lot of preparation to be ready for a voyage and it takes a lot of crew members to be able to sail around the world.”

Another really important part of any sail is getting to know the crew. On this day, as on many days in the 40-year revival of Polynesian voyaging and wayfinding, the crew was a colorful mix from diverse backgrounds: working moms, Kala and Grace; a retired lawyer, Jack Breen; a paddler from Hokualele Canoe Club on Kauaʻi, Victory Yokotake; lifeguard, Kaipo Garcia; an Alaskan fisherman and dogsledder, Mike Barnett; and a few others who were interested in learning about Hawaiʻi and its voyaging culture.  The escort vessel Hoʻokela was ably captained by Marine Education & Training Center graduate Moani Heimuli, with the assistance of Puaita Pulotu from Tahiti.

As with any experience on any of the voyaging or sailing canoes in the Pacific, the feeling of mutual respect, teamwork, and the role of the waʻa to spread the mission of Mālama Honua continued on this day.

Help us make history

As the mainstay of support to PVS, our members are allowing us to voyage beyond the boundaries of Polynesia to inspire a global movement to care for our earth.

Before traveling to Molokai, Hikianalia spent time on Maui; while there, Maui Nui crewmembers engaged in outreach and crew training.  See below for a blog by crewmembers Al Nip about the Community Education Day in Lāhaina.

Crew blog by Al Nip

With a brisk Kona wind blowing onshore in Lāhaina, Hui o Waʻa Kaulua and the Polynesian Voyaging Society hosted a successful “Community Education” day at Kamehameha Iki Park.

With the overall theme of “Mālama Honua” (Caring for Island Earth), organizations such as Polanui Hiu, Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve, and Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Program came together with Hui O Waʻa Kaulua and Polynesian Voyaging Society to share why we should all be taking care of our lands, our oceans, and our Island Earth. Polanui Hiu focuses on taking care of our fragile reef and ocean environment, especially to preserve our native fish, heʻe, and limu for future generations. The Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve team works to protect that valuable ecosystem that runs from mauka to makai on Maui. The Maui Nui Seabird Recovery project aids the effort to save Maui Nui’s seabirds, especially the ʻUaʻu (Hawaiian Petrel), ʻUaʻu kani (Wedge­tailed Shearwater), Aʻo (Newell’s Shearwater), and the Akeʻake (the Band ­Rumped Storm ­Petrel); a vital part of the natural environment, seabirds also play an important role in Polynesian navigation and wayfinding (click here to learn more).

Education and outreach activities were hosted by Maui community members Linda Castro Nakagawa of Polanui Hiu, Daniel Tanaka of Puʻu Kukui Watershed Preserve, Jay Penniman of Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project, and WWV voyaging crewmembers Kala Baybayan and MaryAnna Enriquez of Hui o Waʻa Kaulua. Kala Baybayan drew great interest from all with her “kukulu o ka lani” (star compass) exhibit, from casual passers­by, to students from Project Venture and Sacred Hearts school in Lahaina who specifically came to learn more about voyaging and navigation from Kala and members of Hui o Waʻa Kaulua. In addition to learning common knots including the bowline, clove and half hitches, and reef knots, participants learned about the ways crewmembers and scientists are using technology at sea to study water quality and biodiversity, bringing science and math to life for all learners.

Johnsen U., a fifth grader at Kamehameha Schools Maui, asked if he could swim out to Hikianalia with his boogie board as he had a strong desire to visit the waʻa. The reply was, “on this day, it’s not safe for anyone to paddle or swim out to the canoe; however, your day will come.” You never know who will be the next crew member, navigator, or captain. Maybe Johnsen will be one of the lucky and brave few?

Help us make history

As the mainstay of support to PVS, our members are allowing us to voyage beyond the boundaries of Polynesia to inspire a global movement to care for our earth.