Hikianalia’s Departure to California On Hold Until Hurricane Passes and Weather Improves
As unfavorable winds continue and with Hurricane Hector potentially impacting the Hawaiian Islands, the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) has decided to postpone the departure of Hikianalia until next week at the earliest.
“We are concerned about our crew on the canoe as well as their families being left behind, so we are holding off the launch of this voyage until the risk of this hurricane and any other weather issues have passed,” said Nainoa Thompson, president, Polynesian Voyaging Society. “We want to make sure that both the canoe and our homes in Hawaiʻi are safe, and we want to allow our crew to be here to make sure their families are okay,” he added.
PVS will continue to work closely with the National Weather Service to monitor the weather to determine the safest time for the crew to set sail.
Hikianalia was originally scheduled to depart Sand Island on Monday, July 30. The departure of Hikianalia will launch Alahula Kai o Maleka, Hikianalia’s California Voyage. After an approximately 30-day sail across the Pacific Ocean, the canoe is expected to arrive in Northern California in early September, weather permitting. A welcome ceremony and celebration is scheduled at Aquatic Park in San Francisco for Sept. 8, 2018. After engagements in San Francisco, Hikianalia will sail down the coast of California to San Diego and connect with communities along the way. The canoe is expected to return to Hawaii in December 2018.
Even with the delay, crewmembers remain hard at work training for what will certainly be a cold and wet journey north. Below is a gallery of their latest practice sail August 1, 2018 along the South Shore of Hawaiʻi.
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