Crew Profile: David Kaminskas

PVS Member Since

HOMETOWN: Kailua, O‘ahu
PRIMARY DUTY: Medical Officer
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:
WORLDWIDE VOYAGE LEGS SAILED: Leg 18: Virgin Islands, Cuba and Florida
David is a Medical Doctor specializing in Neurology and an Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Hawai‘i, John Burns School of Medicine. He was first exposed to Hōkūleʻa through the story of Eddie Aikau and heard more from Ben Young who served as the medical officer on Hōkūleʻa's maiden voyage in 1976. When Hōkūleʻa came to visit his home waters of Kailua in 2013, he knew would seek any opportunity to sail aboard her.

To him, the Worldwide Voyage represents the true spirit of aloha, stewardship and preservation of the land and the sea, the pride of the Hawaiian people, a way of honoring the past, and carrying the knowledge and traditions into the future. He is continually amazed and thrilled to see how the sailing canoe and the WWV have touched so many lives and it gives him hope for future peace and prosperity.

He is looking forward to being a part of the this historic and symbolic voyage and being connected to the sea, sky, stars, wind and canoe. Back on land, what he misses most about being at sea is the horizon, the rising and setting of the sun, the salt on his skin, the feeling of the breeze on his cheeks and the movement of the canoe beneath his feet as it moves across the ocean.

David lives in Kailua with his wife, Ruthie, and his 3 children, Chloe, Luke and Soleil.

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