By Kalepa Baybayan

In the serene and quiet waters of Palekai in the Hawaiian Homes community of Keaukaha, Hikianalia rides on her single anchor with offshore lines tethering the canoe to ironwood trees. We arrived here in Hilo on Thursday, March 23rd, after a quick 52-hour crossing of four of the eight channels that separate the Hawaiian Islands. Since the relaunch of Hikianalia in February following her drydocking, Bob Perkins, Keli Takenaga, Kekaimalu Lee, Darienne Dey, Ben Dumaran, and a host of Honolulu crew members have worked tirelessly preparing the canoe for open ocean voyaging once again.

The canoe is now in position on the east side of Hawaiʻi Island and ready to attempt the 2,200 nautical mile (nm) jaunt to Tahiti. A team of five apprentice navigators and one primary navigator will be targeting a 90-nm block of three atolls – Rangiroa, Tikehau, and Mataiva – at the western end of the Tuamotu Archipelago. The last of the food, water, and supplies have been loaded, and we await a Sunday afternoon departure. The crew will be attending a navigation and sail strategy training session in the ‘Imiloa Planetarium Sunday morning before the canoe departs.

Finally I would like to thank Catherine Fuller who helped us sail Hikianalia to Hawaiʻi Island, Lita Blankenfeld for handling the food purchasing, Keli Takenaga for organizing the packing of the food, Kaʻiulani Murphy and Maya Saffrey for organizing the departure and arrival paper work, and Ramona Ontiveros, Mikiala Akiona, and Heidi Guth for keeping the gears lubricated by looking after the crew.

Leg 29B Crew, Hawaiʻi to Tahiti:
Kalā Tanaka, Captain, Primary Navigator
Kālepa Baybayan, Sail Master
Snake AhHee, Watch Captain
Kalani Kahalioumi, Watch Captain, Apprentice Navigator
Gary Yuen, Watch Captain, PM Cook
Miriam Chang, Ship Doctor
Tava Taupu, Senior Crew
Kawika Crivello, Education Coordinator, Apprentice Navigator
Kaipo Kiaha, ‘Oiwi, Apprentice Navigator
Kalau Spencer, Power System
Nikki Kamalu, IT, Apprentice Navigator
Liz Zeiger, Quarter Master
Jackie Meggs, Quarter Master
Lohiao Paoa, Sails, Apprentice Navigator
Ben Dumaran, Sails
Puaita Purotu, AM Cook

Mahalo a nui!
Kālepa

Hōkūle‘a Homecoming – Save the Date

We’ve got more details for you regarding Hōkūleʻa’s historic homecoming in June 2017! Click below to find out more:

Sign Up For Updates