Awaiting Departure From Hilo

“In the real-life sailing scenario, everything is driven by the weather, everything is driven by the wind,” said pwo navigator Kālepa Baybayan.

This realistic aspect of voyaging is what delayed the crewʻs send off for their leg out of Hawaiʻi to Tahiti.

“Delaying departure is a common thing for us because of safety. We don’t want to leave where the winds can be so strong where someone can get hurt. If we were just to leave Hilo, and there was no wind, we would just be floating in the bay for a day or two,” said navigator Keahi Omai.

“It’s the winds that’s going to take you home or take you to where you want to go. So we just need to be patient for the right shift in the right direction,” said Kālepa.

“Thatʻll be a leadership decision thatʻll be driven by Nainoa because, in the end, heʻs responsible. The navigatorʻs responsible. So itʻll be determined when he feels it is safe, and if we have the right winds to go,” said Keahi.

In the meantime, crew members continue to prepare the canoe for departure.

“You want them [the crew] to be focused on what they need to do. You just want to keep that drive in them, to think about the canoe, think about your crew members and focus on what we need to do,” said Keahi.