Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departure from Hilo delayed until Tuesday due to weather

The Polynesian Voyaging Society announced that the Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia will now depart from Hilo on Tuesday morning, June 3, after postponing the voyage due to weather conditions.

The canoes are set to resume the Moananuiākea Voyage at approximately 10 a.m., following a 9 a.m. canoe protocol. Departure will take place from Palekai in Hilo, a restricted harbor with no public access. Members of the public can view the sendoff from the breakwater area near the community access gate, which opens at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Credentialed media will be escorted by PVS staff.

The decision to delay came after organizers monitored weather changes and determined that Tuesday’s forecast offered more favorable winds for sailing Kealaikahiki, the ancestral sea road between Hawaiʻi and Tahiti.

The departure marks a major milestone in the voyage, which was paused in 2023 due to the devastating fires in Lahaina and unpredictable El Niño weather patterns. The first destination on this leg of the journey is French Polynesia, with landfall expected in about three weeks. While in French Polynesia, the canoes will make stops in Taputapuātea on Ra‘iātea and Papeʻete, Tahiti, and will spend approximately one month engaging with local communities and honoring deep ancestral ties.

Since arriving in Hilo on May 21, the crew has been focused on final canoe preparations and intensive safety training while awaiting a favorable departure window.

After French Polynesia, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are expected to continue voyaging through the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Aotearoa (New Zealand) later this year.

The Moananuiākea Voyage aims to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean, covering more than 40,000 nautical miles and visiting nearly 100 Indigenous territories and Pacific port communities. The voyage honors the wisdom of Indigenous navigation, builds bridges between cultures and seeks to inspire a global movement to protect and care for the oceans.