Hōkūleʻa Update | March 4, 2016
After spending five days at St. John, USVI, their first Caribbean touchpoint, traditional voyaging canoe Hokulea set sail again this morning for its next destination: the neighboring British Virgin Islands. The crew left the US Virgin Islands at 2:00 p.m. (Friday, 8:00 a.m. HST). The current leg of the Worldwide Voyage highlights the first time that the legendary sailing vessel is visiting the Caribbean.
“You have this gem of a place on the planet that has these amazing islands, these amazing coral reefs, and we call it the Caribbean,” said Nainoa Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. “(Voyaging to the Caribbean) is just another extraordinarily rich opportunity to go to a place in the world on our own terms-strengthened by our culture, carried by our voyaging canoe, and with the (outstanding) kind of leadership and crewmembers we have.”
Kālepa thanking the St. John Community for their generosity and hospitality.
The stop at the British Virgin Islands gives a chance for Hokulea to handle any customs requirements while on international waters, and continue her Caribbean journey. From the British Virgin Islands, Hokulea and her crew will continue the Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage and stop in several ports in the Caribbean including Cuba before sailing north and visiting cities along the East Coast of the United States. She is scheduled to arrive in New York City by June 8, 2016 to be part of the United Nations’ World Oceans Day.
Crossing North
After a 20-month sojourn in oceans south of the equator, Hōkūleʻa has returned to the northern hemisphere in the blue waters of the Atlantic. Please, help celebrate our crew by supporting their journey.
