Hikianalia Update | Dec 11, 2018: Hikianalia Approaching Honolulu
- Posted on 11 Dec 2018
- In Crew Blogs, Hikianalia Updates, Newsletter, Photo Galleries, Teachers, Updates
Voyaging Canoe Expected to Arrive By Midnight
After 18 days at sea sailing 2,253 nautical miles from San Diego using traditional navigation, without the aid of modern instruments, the crew of Hikianalia spotted northern Oʻahu just after sunrise this morning. As of this morning at 10:00 a.m. (HST), Hikianalia was approximately 46 nautical miles away from Sand Island. The current estimated time that the canoe will be arriving at the Marine Education Training Center (METC) at Sand Island is sometime between 8 p.m. and midnight this evening.
“We’ve spotted the north side of Oʻahu, just after sunrise and it’s never looked so good. The wind is still pretty fresh out here and we’re still going to have to work for it, but we are headed your way,” said co-captain Jason Patterson in an email message sent this morning from the canoe. “Mahalo piha for all of your support. Can’t wait to see you guys on the dock,” they added.
Click here track Hikianalia in real-time.
The sail across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Honolulu will complete the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage, which launched in August for crew to share the culture and history of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the important values of caring for our earth with communities along the coast of California.
In addition to co-captains Kaniela Lyman-Mersereau and Jason Patterson, the crew is being lead by navigator Haunani Kane. Click here to explore the entire leg four crew roster.
Hikianalia departed Honolulu on August 18, 2018 and made landfall at Half Moon Bay, California on Sept. 10, 2018. While in California, the canoe made stops in San Francisco, Sausalito, Monterey, Ventura County, Redondo Beach, Catalina Island and Orange County before making a final stop in San Diego. While in San Francisco, the voyagers shared a message about the importance of ocean stewardship at the Global Climate Action Summit and other events focused on environmental and cultural preservation. Each port stop began with an arrival ceremony hosted by the indigenous and local communities of the area. The crew engaged with thousands of people by holding public presentations, school visits and dockside canoe tours to share the history and legacy of Polynesian voyaging and the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.
About Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage:
The Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage is a continuation of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Mālama Honua campaign to inspire action toward an environmentally and culturally thriving world. The name of the voyage, Alahula Kai o Maleka, honors the “frequented pathway,” alahula, across the ocean between Hawaiʻi and California, kai o Maleka. Kai o Maleka, literally means “sea of America,” a traditional reference to the Pacific waterway connecting the Hawaiian Islands and the West Coast. Additional purposes of the voyage are to celebrate the Polynesian communities of California; connect, learn and share the Mālama Honua message with schools and communities; continue developing the next generation of voyaging captains, navigators and crewmembers; and to share the story of Hikianalia, a canoe that blends ancient wisdom and modern solutions to address the environmental and cultural issues of today. The major sponsors of the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage are Hawaiian Airlines, OluKai, Ama Olukai Foundation, Kamehameha Schools and Hawaii Tourism Authority.