Hōkūleʻa Update | October 12, 2015

Aloha, this is Kālepa Baybayan on board the sailing canoe Hōkūleʻa. We are in the heart of the Mozambique Channel on our way to Mauritius to Madagascar. We are approximately 440 nautical miles away Richards Bay, our final destination on this leg to South Africa. We should be arriving in Richards Bay in about 72 hours. An important issue now is our ability to move across the water as there is an impending low pressure system that is developing south of us, which will be bring a definite change in weather. We are expecting a wetter climate in about 24 hours and increased velocity of winds. Hopefully we can make it in before we feel the major effects of this low pressure system, but there’s no guarantees. In that bay, the winds are very, very light. We have a full complement of four sails up – a head sail, our main sail, a stay sail, and our mizzen – and are assisted by Gershon’s auxiliary power. We are tow-sailing along the way because it’s imperative that we maintain 6 knot average speed so that we can get in before the weather system changes. So we are doing our best to get to South Africa as safely and as quickly as possible. I invite you to follow us on Hokulea.com, follow the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage and follow its global education mission. So farewell from the deck of Hōkūleʻa. A hui hou.

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