Hōkūle‘a Homeward Bound: Final Leg of Worldwide Voyage Begins

May 19, 2017, 10:53 AM HST
* Updated May 20, 8:04 AM

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After five days in the community of Tautira the crews of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departed Wednesday morning, May 17, 2017, on the final historic leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, setting sail for home to Hawaiʻi.

The sister canoes were accompanied by escort vessel Gershon II on a journey that is expected to take 3-4 weeks to complete, depending on weather.

Tautira is considered a second home of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and legendary canoe Hōkūleʻa. The people of Tautira have been the Tahitian caretakers of the canoes and crews of PVS since Hōkūleʻa’s maiden voyage in 1976.

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Upon arrival in Tautira, the crew payed homage to family ties, acknowledged a shared voyaging heritage of Hawaiʻi and Tahiti, and visited the grave sites of leaders who helped build the connection more than forty years ago.

The canoes will make a celebratory return to Honolulu on Saturday, June 17 at Magic Island for a cultural welcoming ceremony followed by a grand celebration open to the entire community.

The week-long celebration will continue with the Mālama Honua Fair and Summit, a three-day event at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center , which will highlight the voyaging, cultural, environmental, educational, and health and well-being missions of the Worldwide Voyage by sharing mālama honua “stories of hope” and voyage-inspired initiatives and activities with the public.

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The event’s inspirational speaker series will feature local and global speakers who have engaged with the Voyage including: Megan Smith, 3rd chief technology officer of the United States; Dieter Paulmann, founder of Okeanos Foundation for the Sea; and Ocean Elders Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michel Cousteau, and Don Walsh. Registration for these events is now open at www.hokulea.com/summit.