Blog | Kekaimalu Lee: Ka Ho’omākaukau ʻAna

Written by Kekaimalu Lee.

I ka moana no ka iʻa, liuliu ʻia na pono lawaiʻa.
While the fish is still in the sea, get your gear ready. Be prepared.

Aloha kākou,

Wahi a kūpuna, i ka moana nō ka iʻa, liuliu ʻia nā pono lawaiʻa. ʻO kēia ʻōlelo, he hoʻomaopopo ia no ka pono e mākaukau i nā manawa a pau. A he mea kūpono nō hoʻi kēia ʻōlelo no nā holokai ma Hōkūleʻa me Hikianalia. Ke hōʻea mai ka wā, pono e mākaukau. A ma mua o ka holo ʻana ma ke kai lipolipo, ua nui ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana.

Ua halihali mākou i nā mea ʻai a me nā ʻōmole wai a hoʻouka ʻia ma luna o Hōkūleʻa lāua ʻo Hikianalia. No mākou iho, ua hoʻouka ʻia ko mākou mau ukana, a ua hoʻomākaukau ʻia ko mākou poʻe wahi moena.

Ma mua o ka halihali ukana ʻana, ua hoʻomaʻamaʻa mākou i ka holo ʻana ma ka waʻa. Hoʻouka mākou i nā peʻa, nā kaula, me nā lako ʻē aʻe a pau e holo pono ai ka waʻa. Ua hoʻomākaukau pū nā hoʻokele ma ka nānā a hoʻopaʻanaʻau ʻana i ka holo ʻana o ka lā, ka mahina, nā hōkū me ka loli ʻana o ke anilā.

Ua nui nā ʻano mea e hoʻomākaukau ai no ka holo moana ʻana. Akā naʻe, ʻo ka mea nui o ka hoʻomākaukau ʻana no kēia māhele o Ka Huakaʻi Holo Puni Honua, ʻo Mālama Honua hoʻi, ʻo ia ka hui like ʻana o kēlā me kēia holokai pākahi i hoʻokahi hui ʻohana waʻa. Oli a hīmeni pū mākou, ʻai pū mākou a mālama mākou kekahi i kekahi.

Mahalo no kou heluhelu ʻana i kēia moʻolelo a manaʻo pōkole. E hoʻomau nō i ka holo ʻana me mākou ma www.hokulea.com

 I ka moana no ka iʻa, liuliu ʻia na pono lawaiʻa
While the fish is still in the sea, get your gear ready
Be prepared.

Aloha everyone,

The ʻōlelo noʻeau, or Hawaiian proverb above reminds me a lot about the moments leading up to this next leg in the Worldwide Voyage. This saying is a reminder to always be prepared. When the time arises, we should always be ready. That is exactly what we, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia crewmembers, did before leaving on this journey.

Before we sail on the deep blue sea, there is much to prepare. We loaded all of the food and water containers on to Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia. We loaded all of our individual gear and personal items, and made sure to set up our bunks for the long journey ahead.

Before departure, we did lots of training for life at sea by practicing with the sails and lines and checking all our safety equipment to ensure a successful voyage. The navigators prepared by watching and even memorizing the movement of the sun, the moon, the stars, and the weather.

There are a lot of things that need to be done in order to be ready for a voyage. However, the most important thing in preparing for this leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage is coming together as one crew. We chant and sing together, we eat together, and we take care of each other.

Thank you for reading this blog. Continue to sail with us on www.hokulea.com

Learn more about our crewmembers and the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. Visit us and join our global movement towards a more sustainable Island Earth.