Hōkūleʻa departs on four-year Moananuiākea Voyage to circumnavigate the Pacific

Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa departed Statter Harbor in Juneau, Alaska early Sunday morning at 4:15 a.m. (Alaska Time), officially starting the four-year Moananuiākea Voyage to circumnavigate the Pacific. 

The canoe and voyage received a ceremonial blessing on Thursday, hosted by the Alaska Native community; however, the crew could not depart until three days later due to weather. 

After a 12-hour sail, Hōkūleʻa arrived at her next port, Angoon, at 4:30 p.m. (Alaska Time), where the crew is expected to stay for approximately two days for educational and cultural engagements.

Weather permitting, Hōkūleʻa’s crew is planning to visit several more communities in Southeast Alaska:

Tentative Schedule (subject to change due to weather)

• Depart Angoon June 20 or 21
• Arrive Kake same day June 20 or 21
• Depart Kake, June 24 give or take a day
• Arrive Petersburg same day 
• Depart Petersburg, June 26 
• Arrive Wrangell same day
• Depart Wrangell, June 30
• Arrive Ketchikan same day
• Depart Ketchikan (leg 4) July 4 or 5
• Arrive Metlakatla same day 
• Depart Metlakatla, July 8 or 9
• Arrive Hydaburg same day
• Depart Hydaburg, July 15 

Hydaburg will be the last stop in Alaska and then the canoe will enter British Columbia. 

Hōkūleʻa has been docked at Statter Harbor in Juneau since the canoe arrived from Haines and received a tribal welcoming at Auke Bay on June 10, 2023.  Prior to arriving in Juneau, the canoe completed the Alaska Heritage Sail, which paid homage to Alaska Natives and the places that played a part in the 31-year history and relationship between Hawaiʻi’s voyaging community and Alaska.  

The Moananuiākea expedition will cover an estimated 43,000 nautical miles, with the crew visiting 36 countries and archipelagoes, nearly 100 indigenous territories and more than 300 ports. 

The goal of the voyage is to ignite a movement of 10 million “planetary navigators” by developing young leaders and engaging communities around the world to take part in navigating  earth towards a healthy, thriving future.