Hikianalia Update | Sept 25-26, 2018

Posted on 27 Sep 2018
In Hikianalia Updates, Photo Galleries, Teachers, Video Update

Sept 25 | Hikianalia Update: Aloha Half Moon & De Fierro ʻOhana

Ben Dumuran, Anne Guth, Manuel Mejia

Today we hosted another round of canoe tours in Half Moon Bay, with a steady turnout all day long. Afterwards, the De Fierro ʻohana graciously hosted us for dinner again down at the waʻa.

Betsy De Fierro, a Kamehameha School alumni, shared that she is writing a mele for Hikianalia! She sang what she had so far, and we already know it will be a beautiful celebration of Hikianalia. After dinner, we joined members of the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club for a crew presentation, and then returned to the canoe to prep for departure from Half Moon Bay to Monterey. There are just a few hours of sleep to get before our 3 a.m. crew call.

Sept 26 | Hikianalia Update: The Compass

It was very cold when we all woke, and we quickly put the kettle on and dawned our foulies (foul weather sailing gear) for an extra layer of warmth. Despite a thick fog, the crew safely maneuvered Hikianalia away from the dock, through a series of breakwalls and out to sea. As I write this, we are currently approaching the North end of Monterey Bay.

A thick blanket of fog obscured our horizon–visibility was extremely limited. While every crew from the Polynesian Voyaging Society is versed and confident in wayfinding, safety comes first… especially in unfamiliar territory during adverse conditions. In this instance, our crew practiced some traditional western navigation using a compass to hold a course. The compass was interesting to steer by in terms of how the subtlest changes or mistakes in direction can compound over long distances and take you way off your reference course.

The sail from Half Moon Bay to Monterey took us much longer than expected; winds were very light or nonexistent. We were originally estimated to get in around 7 p.m., but instead got in around 1:30 a.m. this morning. Because it was so late, we were unable to come into the dock, but instead had the help of Harbor Patrol to drop anchor a little further out, and hunkered down to sleep and rotate on anchor watch. We were having some trouble with the charging station in the media area of the hale, but Bob was able to check it out and get it working again for now.

Today, the crew was very tired from yesterday’s sail. We woke early to meet our harbor escorts at 7am to relocate to our dock, which went smoothly. After the canoe was safely docked, we gathered in the morning to have breakfast together in Monterey, and then returned to clean Hikianalia so she is ready for this coming week’s outreach. The overcast and fog persisted, but there were a few moments of sun and blue skies today, and the crew is hopeful that temperatures rise as we descend this beautiful coast.

Mahalo and Aloha from Hikianalia and Crew!