Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail
After the homecoming ceremonies at Magic Island in June, 2017, Hōkūle‘a was put into dry dock for needed maintenance and repairs. Her first sail after returning to the water was to Honolua Bay, Maui.
Hōkūle‘a and her crew arrived there August 17 as the first stop of the six-month Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail and the place where the legendary voyaging canoe departed for her maiden voyage to Tahiti in 1976.
The following morning, more than 500 people from the community came to Honolua Bay to welcome Hōkūle‘a and crew with a cultural ceremony. More than 20 canoes from local paddling organizations encircled Hōkūle‘a along with Maui’s voyaging canoe Mo‘okiha O Pi‘ilani to begin the welcoming ceremony.
Following the welcome ceremony, the Hōkūle‘a crew walked from Honolua Bay to Pu‘u Kukui Watershed Preserve with approximately 500 members of the community to plant 5,000 native plants including koa trees, the traditional building materials of voyaging canoes which have been scarce in recent generations.
From Maui, Hōkūle‘a returned to the Marine Education Training Center (METC) at Sand Island and on September 14, sailed to the next stop on the Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail: Hale‘iwa, O‘ahu. During the 10-day Hale‘iwa engagement, crew members participated with the community in events and activities that highlighted the recent Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage as well as the work being done on O‘ahu’s North Shore to care for Island Earth.
Hōkūle‘a departed the Hale‘iwa Boat Harbor for Hanalei Bay, Kaua‘i on September 23 and arrived to Kaua‘i the following morning. They were greeted with a public arrival ceremony. During the 3-day Kaua‘i engagement, crewmembers participated with the community in events and activities that highlighted the recent Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage as well as the work being done within Kaua‘i communities to care for Island Earth.
Ke Ola Magazine will continue to follow Hōkūle‘a and the Mahalo, Hawai‘i Sail. ❖
For more information and the schedule of future ports, visit: Hokulea.com.
