HANALEI —The Hokule‘a arrived in the North Shore of Kaua‘i on Saturday with the community proudly welcoming and draping the crew with leis.
After a 24-hour delay due to weather conditions, the Hokule‘a was docked at the Hanalei Pier, the first stop in its Pae ‘Aina Statewide Sail. While on Kaua’i, the Hokule‘a and its 10 crew members will spend two weeks hosting educational engagements, tours and activities for schools and the community, while docked in Hanalei, Nawiliwili and Waimea.
“Its been so awesome, it’s been a while since Hokule‘a has been on Kaua’i,” said crew member Jonah Apo, “It was beautiful coming in, it’s my first time in Hanalei and it’s beautiful.
“It’s great we can get children that haven’t seen the canoe yet, on the canoe, and remind them that Hokule‘a is very much Hawai‘i’s canoe and your canoe for all that live here, and anytime the crew members voyage now or in the next couple of years that we are taking Hawai‘i with us and not forgetting about them. I am excited to be here, and excited to get the school groups down.”
The sailing vessel was also well-received by visitors, who marveled at its beauty.
“This is beautiful, its so amazing to see up close, he said, “We were on a boat tour and we arrived at the same time to the bay, so I had to come see it up close, I don’t know to much about it, but its great they are keeping alive the tradition,” said Jeremy Bataillou, who was visiting from San Francisco. “I wish them the best time, and the best luck and good winds”
Crew members said they were looking forward to sharing about their journey with the community.
“Our mission is to reconnect with our community, our backyard,” said Hokule‘a crew member Solomon Kaupu “It’s important to get to every school, there have been times we can not come to Kaua‘i due to weather but we want to include everyone in our journey.
“After the call was given after the Lahaina Fire we realized Hokule‘a is very important to Hawai’i as it is very important to the world. So we came back home to spread awareness and educate the community. We are happy to coordinate with the Department of Education (DOE) and provide field trips for the kids and our Kaua’i community.”
Crew members were also eager to talk about the use of technology aboard the sailing vessel.
“Yes, there are a few new things like a Starlink on board. As the technology increases we are lucky enough to have amazing supporters that have donated and provided these services. The Starlink is good,” Apo said.
“We are always sending out videos to social media, so everyone can be updated and show our mission. We have the camera now too that we can use to live stream, we have the technology, but we do turn it off when we are navigating. While on board the phones are away and stored and its just us, the ocean, and the sky around.
“We can’t wait to educate the new generation that is coming up on all of that. Don’t forget your history remember there is a long legacy of voyaging for Hokule‘a, she turns 50 in March, but also the centuries and generations of voyagers that have sailed from Hawai‘i and to Hawai‘i and throughout the pacific.”
The Pae ‘Aina Statewide Sail will cover 3,000 miles, stopping at 31 ports and reaching 34 communities, before Hokuleʻa and Hikianalia resume the Moananuiakea Circumnavigation of the Pacific in March. To keep up to date with with the Hokule‘a and their Pae ‘Aina Statewide Sail visit, Hokulea.com/pae-aina-statewide-sail.
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The Star-Advertiser contributed to this report.
