Aloha from the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. I’m reporting to you from Hōkūleʻa in Stuart, Florida. All day we have been taking down the masts as you can see behind me and making protocols so we have a solid way of putting them back up again. We also had a few families come visit us and took us in, made us feel right at home. Even though we brought Hawaiʻi here, they really brought Hawaiʻi to us. We had many visitors today, and itʻs been amazing. We plan on leaving Stuart tomorrow morning, heading up to Titusville. Please keep following us at Hokulea.com. Aloha!
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
Aloha kākou from the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, this is Shawn Kanaʻiaupuni signing in from Stuart, Florida. We just came in from the Everglades through the inner waterways, actually through a canal system. So it’s a bit of a first for us and a new experience where we went through five locks. I think we’re ready for the Panama Canal. We went through brides and overpasses, we had freeways going over us. We went through Lake Okeechobee and learned a lot about it in Stuart. Since arriving here, we’ve had wonderful community experiences, lots of families from Hawaii who have been so excited to see us, welcoming us, and inviting us to their homes. There have been tons of kids on board almost everyday we’ve been here. We are here for one more day, and will leave Sunday morning. So join us in Titusville, Florida on April 5 at 3pm. Can’t wait to see you there, and keep following us at Hokulea.com.
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
During our crew-call in the pre-dawn hours yesterday morning, we all paused to look up as Nainoa gave instruction for the complicated day ahead. A large meteor over the eastern horizon burned green and orange across the sky. For three or four seconds it streaked and flared until disappearing. Nainoa murmured “hōʻailona” and without a spare moment, continued with our crew meeting.
Ahead of us, the Okeechobee Waterway –– a 132 nautical mile inland route that will take us from the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast, to the Atlantic on the east. The passage will carry us through the heart of Florida including five locks and Lake Okeechobee, which is as large in area as the entire island of Maui.
As dawn broke yesterday, the crew was greeted by fog and mist obscuring much of the waterway. For us, it made our introduction to this new place slow-going, shrouded, and at times, mystical. The waterway is narrow and shallow in parts, as well as littered with a number of low-lying bridges. To complicate matters, Hōkūleʻa is under tow for the entire length of the passage requiring teamwork and tight communication with our escort vessel. To navigate safe passage, our Leg 18 crew spent half the day on Monday lowering both sails and masts allowing Hōkūleʻa to be less susceptible to wind, low bridges and frequent lightning strikes for which this area is known.
“It’s totally different than sailing the open ocean, right down to checking the train schedule to see when they can open bridges for us,” said PVS sail planner Lehua Kamalu who spent months researching every aspect of the passage.
Now as we make our way toward the first lock, Hōkūleʻa surely appears to some as an ornate raft. With her masts down, her deck is littered with a mess of stays and rigging that normally decorate her skyline. But the truth is, there’s nothing normal about this portion of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.
As Hōkūleʻa is lifted several feet above sea level through the first lock, she is voyaging higher in elevation than ever before. A lock is a waterway system used for raising and lowering watercraft between bodies of water of different levels on rivers and waterways. Today when we enter Lake Okeechobee in central Florida, she will also be navigating through her first lake and doing so at a record elevation 15ft above sea level. When we puka through to the east coast of Florida, it will be the first time that Hōkūleʻa will have sailed directly through a state other than Hawaiʻi.
Why go through the trouble? In the 41 years and 170,000 nautical miles of voyaging, Hōkūleʻa and her intrepid voyagers have always chosen the meaningful path over the easy. That path led us nearby to the Everglades where earlier in the week, we met with Native American representatives from various tribes. As the first people of this continent, we humbly asked their permission and blessings to be here in North America.
Instead of circling back toward the east coast of Florida, the adventurous side of master navigator Nainoa Thompson made the decision to cut through the state. Hōkūleʻa has had many firsts throughout her history and moving up the Okeechobee would bring handful more. On this stretch of water, Kawika Crivello, by request of Nainoa, captained Hōkūleʻa for the first time.
“When Nainoa asked me, the first person I thought of was Uncle Mel and how far we’d come as Molokai crewmember. I thought of our home and how we are making him proud,” said Kawika who made a point of acknowledging the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s first captain from Molokai.
“It’s not about captaining ––more so, it’s about the kids at home, knowing that one day they will captain their own Hōkūleʻa, whatever that Hōkūleʻa is.”
After an evening of thunderstorms and rain, crewmembers awoke in Moore Haven, halfway point of the passage. Kawika’s foray into the Okeechobee as first-time captain is not yet over, but whatever anxiety that may have been, had long faded as quickly as yesterday’s mist.
“I was nervous about these waterways –– especially these locks which are completely unknown to us. But when I saw that meteor it actually quitted my soul.”
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
Aloha from the deck of Hōkūleʻa, currently in Stuart, Florida. Finally after traveling two days inland through the Okeechobee River and five locks, it’s the first time that Hōkūleʻa has ever done that and is a historical achievement. We left Ft. Meyers two days ago. The crew is in good health, everybody is in good spirits. We were welcomed by former Hawaii residents in Stuart, and we want to say mahalo all of those who are following us on Hokulea.com. Aloha!
At the break of dawn on Tuesday morning, Hawaii’s legendary sailing canoe Hōkūleʻa made another historic achievement by traveling the inland Okeechobee Waterway in the heart of Florida that includes Lake Okeechobee and five locks. Lake Okeechobee’s size is comparable to the island of Maui, and a lock is a waterway system used for raising and lowering watercraft between bodies of water of different levels on rivers and waterways. The end of the Okeechobee Waterway journey will mark the very first time that Hōkūleʻa will have navigated through a freshwater lake with a maximum elevation of 15 feet above sea level – the highest elevation that the canoe has ever voyaged. The completion of the 132-nautical mile inland route that will take the vessel from the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast to the east coast’s Atlantic Ocean, will also be the first time that the pioneering canoe will have sailed through a US state other than Hawaii.
“Hōkūleʻa for the first time ever is sitting above calm water 10 feet above sea level. For me, it’s exciting and it’s about creating new learning experiences,” said Nainoa Thompson, pwo navigator and Polynesian Voyaging Society’s president. “It’s about doing what is hard to do. We’re not on a Worldwide Voyage because it’s easy; we’re on a Worldwide Voyage because it’s worth it, but it’s hard.” Thompson stated that one of the main challenges on the narrow passage was to avoid hitting the vessel on possible obstructions, since the Okeechobee Waterway contains a significant amount of shallow spots and low-lying bridges. “It’s really about controlling speed and navigating really well.” To ensure a safe sail, the crew spent Monday lowering both sails and masts so Hōkūleʻa could be less susceptible to the low bridges, wind, and the area’s frequent lightning strikes.
Following Florida, the crew will travel up the east coast making several stops including South Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC, and New York City. In New York, the canoe will be a focal point at World Oceans Day events hosted by the United Nations on June 8, 2016. The theme of this year’s World Oceans Day is Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet. While in New York City, Hōkūleʻa will also participate in the Hawaiian Airlines Liberty Challenge, which is the east coast’s largest Pacific Islands festival and one of the world’s most competitive outrigger races.The canoe is expected to depart New York City on June 18, for several engagements in the New England area.
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
Aloha everyone, we’re here in Ft. Myers, Florida. We spent the whole night going through the Okeechobee Waterway and under a couple of really big bridges. We are updating today because we were in the Everglades National Park yesterday. Our first touch with the First Nations. We got to spend the morning with the Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples and they brought us to their Ancestral Lands. It was a really sacred experience where we were asked to use all of our senses to take in the stories of their place and their people and what they’re trying to do protect the lands for future generations. Later in the day we went to the National Park Service’s Gulf Coast Visitors Center where the Seminole Tribe greeted us as well as the National Park Service and even a halau from Ft. Lauderdale who drove to perform and connect with us. And a couple of the crewmembers got to go into the mangrove forest and learn about what they are doing to protect their environment and manatees. We got to bring some of the community members on board Hōkūleʻa as well. So it was a really full day and an amazing experience with the First Peoples and the National Park Service. We are so grateful to be in Florida, the first state as we make our way up the East Coast. Keep following us on Hokulea.com and thanks so much for all your support. Aloha!
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
Hōkūleʻa has made her first touch on the U.S. Mainland at Everglades National Park to pay homage to nature, the National Park Service and the area’s indigenous people. Arriving at Everglades National Park on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. (EST); 1:00 a.m. (HST), the Hōkūleʻa crew were welcomed by The Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples in a sacred ceremony honoring the Voyage. Following this sacred ceremony, The Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Everglades National Park Service hosted a welcoming ceremony at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, where the public was invited to meet the crew and learn about the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.
“We thought it would be most appropriate to have Hōkūleʻa’s arrival into the U.S. mainland take place where we could honor and pay respect to the area’s native people and to our National Park Service,” said Nainoa Thompson, pwo navigator and president of Polynesian Voyaging Society. “This arrival represents two key pillars of our voyage, which are to connect with other indigenous cultures and to discover the efforts of our environmental mission partners such as the National Park Service, which is celebrating its Centennial,” he added.
Everglades National Park is a public park for the benefit of the people. It is set aside as a permanent wilderness preserving essential primitive conditions including the natural abundance, diversity, behavior, and ecological integrity of the unique flora and fauna. The park is visited on average by one million people each year. It is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley and Yellowstone. It has been designated an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site and Wetland of International Importance.
Hōkūleʻa sailed to Everglades National Park from Key West, FL where she entered the U.S. on March 23, 2016, after two years of sailing around the globe. The canoe departed Key West on March 25, 2015 to set sail for the Everglades. Her next destination after Everglades National Park is Fort Meyers, FL.
From Fort Meyers, Hōkūleʻa will cross the Florida peninsular via the Okeechobee Waterway to the eastern coast of the state where the crew will honor the late Lacy Veach at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in early April. Veach was a Hawaii-born NASA astronaut who first suggested the idea that Hokulea should sail around the world to share the message to care for Island Earth.
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
Aloha, this is JD Bowers and Iʻm a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. I am on the Hōkūleʻa, which is traveling around the world visiting indigenous peoples. Right now, we are sailing towards Everglades City where weʻll be hosting the canoe and crew at the Gulf Coast Visitors Center and weʻd like to invite you all from 12p-2p. So please come out and support their efforts. What they are doing is amazing, and I want to wish them well on their travels and best of luck.
Welcome Hōkūleʻa and her crew to Everglades City on Saturday, March 2016 at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in the Everglades National Park.
Address: 815 Oyster Bar Lane. Everglades City, Florida 34139
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
Aloha, this Wyland in Key West, my home, and we just arrived with the Hōkūleʻa crew. Kālepa Baybayan was our captain and navigator from Cuba. We had a great cultural visit to Cuba, and it’s part of Hōkūleʻa’s journey around the world. They left Hilo in 2014 and have been sailing around the globe to bring awareness about conservation of our oceans, and for myself and Wyland Foundation, we’ve been on that message for a long time and proud to support this effort to inspire a generation about how important it is to protect and respect our natural world, our oceans, and our entire planet Earth. It’s a great vision that Nainoa has, and he was here to greet the crew when we sailed in. I was one of the crewmembers that sailed in from Hemmingway Harbor in Cuba. It’s about a 17 voyage across the sea, but we’re here in Key West now. I know Key West is very excited. The mayor came down to greet Nainoa, Kālepa, and the whole Hōkūleʻa crew. So we are really proud that the Hōkūleʻa could come here to here to the beautiful Florida Keys, and Key West is the perfect place to start. They’re going to journey up to the Everglades National Park. I hope to join them there again, and I hope all of you will check out Hokulea.com and see the vision they have for uniting all the people on the planet for ocean conservation. Nainoa told me quite a while ago when we sailed to Samoa that every place Hōkūleʻa visits is another flower to the lei until they return home four years later. It’s a beautiful thing inspired by aloha and the spirit of the canoe. It’s very special, and on behalf of the Wyland Foundation and all our conservation partners, it’s a great honor to join Nainoa and the crew of the Hōkūleʻa on this Worldwide Voyage. Congratulations!
Welcome Hōkūleʻa and her crew to Everglades City on Saturday, March 2016 at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in the Everglades National Park.
Address: 815 Oyster Bar Lane. Everglades City, Florida 34139
More than Adventure
Beyond a daring expedition, the Worldwide Voyage is quite possibly the most important mission that Hawaiʻi has ever attempted. As people of Oceania, we are leading a campaign that gives voice to our ocean and planet by highlighting innovative solutions practiced by cultures around the planet.
We could not have begun this great journey without your support, nor can we continue to its completion.
