Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to make final stop in Hilo ahead of global, 3-year voyage

Weather permitting, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are scheduled to depart Mauliola (Sand Island), Oʻahu this Sunday for Hilo where the canoes will make their final stop on the Pae ʻĀina Statewide Sail before leaving Hawaiʻi for three years for the Moananuiākea Voyage.

The canoes are expected to arrive in Hilo on Tuesday afternoon and stay for more than a week to engage with the community and make final voyage preparations.

The County of Hawaiʻi, Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau, Grand Naniloa Hotel and the Hilo community are hosting the following public events:

• Welcome ceremony at Grand Naniloa Hotel
  • Tentatively scheduled for afternoon of Tuesday, May 20 (Weather-permitting)
• Public dockside engagement at Grand Naniloa Hotel
  • Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22, 3 to 6 p.m.
• Hilo’s Hōkūleʻa Hoʻolauleʻa
  • Location: Wailoa Boat Harbor (makai side of the Wailoa Bridge near the Suisan Fish Market)
  • Saturday, May 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We are honored to welcome Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to Hilo as they embark on the next leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage,” said County of Hawaiʻi Mayor Kimo Alameda. “This visit is an opportunity to celebrate our heritage of exploration while deepening our shared responsibility to the ocean that connects all of us. Together, these canoes carry the hopes, values and spirit of Hawaiʻi. We look forward to extending our heartfelt aloha to the crew as they sail across the Pacific Ocean inspiring the next generation of navigators and stewards of our planet.”

The canoes are tentatively scheduled to depart Hilo for French Polynesia on May 30, depending on weather conditions.

The Moananuiākea Voyage will span an estimated 43,000 nautical miles, visiting 36 countries and archipelagos, nearly 100 Indigenous territories and more than 345 ports. Approximately 400 crew members from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific are expected to participate.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society recently celebrated the 50th birthday of Hōkūleʻa on March 8, 2025. This milestone marks a half-century of cultural revival, environmental advocacy and a renewed connection to the earth and ocean.  For the latest updates on the Moananuiākea Voyage visit hokulea.com and @hokuleacrew on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.