Hōkūleʻa Update | January 1, 2016

Happy New Year from the Hōkūleʻa! We celebrated the new year with a countdown and a dropping of a light down the mast.  Times Square would be proud. Three, two, one…..Happy New Year! Then there were hugs all around and a celebratory ʻawa ceremony. We all gave thanks to a wonderful year with the PVS ʻohana, being on the Atlantic Ocean on a star filled night, and sharing it with Hōkūleʻa.

Happy New Year from the Hōkūleʻa! We celebrated the new year with a countdown and a dropping of a light down the mast.  Times Square would be proud. Three, two, one…..Happy New Year! Then there were hugs all around and a celebratory ʻawa ceremony. We all gave thanks to a wonderful year with the PVS ʻohana, being on the Atlantic Ocean on a star filled night, and sharing it with Hōkūleʻa.

The celebrations we share will be cherished long past our time, as we share our experiences and stories with future generations of explorers. These stories are initiated by the incredibly creative, innovative, adaptive, and tireless logistics team in the home office.  The “Dream Team”, Ramona, Heidi, Miki, Moana, Mikiala and Trisha, make dreams come true! Organizing the travel plans for crews back and forth to the other side of the world with only a couple of weeks turn around. Cutting through Passport red-tape, usually very thick red-tape, while working on a world clock that is 24 hours a day. And they have been doing this for years always a step ahead of the ever-changing plans.  Itʻs a Miracle!  The crew truly feels we have the easy job of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. Thanks to all of you from all of us!

We have a sparkling, sunny, light wind day for the first day of 2016. We put up the spinnaker and are making steady headway on comfortable conditions, fair winds and following seas. Memories of a starry-sky night New Year celebration are reminisced with shared smiles.

Mahalo Hōkūleʻa for 40 years of aloha, we all look forward to a happy new year sailing with you carrying the pride of Hawaii and the Hawaiian people around the world.

By: Bruce Black

Please help keep us sailing for future generations. All contributions make a difference for our voyage. Mahalo nui loa!