Hikianalia Arrives in Ventura County, California

The Hikianalia Polynesian voyaging canoe arrived in Ventura Harbor on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. This is one of the first few stops that the canoe has made while on its Alahula Kai o Maleka California voyage. The Ventura community and local outrigger paddlers welcomed the crew with a ceremony at the dock. The Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians of the Chumash Nation, the indigenous people of the area traditionally known as the Chumash Territory, greeted the crew during the ceremony.  

Local community leaders and hālau hula including Ka Hale Hula ʻo Pilialohaokalani ʻo Hilo, Hālau Hula ʻo Pualanina‘auali‘ioha, and Hula Hālau ʻo Puananiha`aheo also welcomed the crew with chants and dances.

Following the welcome ceremony, hundreds of people from the Ventura County community visited Hikianalia and the crew to learn about the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and their California Voyage. The crew also gave a presentation about traditional Polynesian voyaging at the Channel Island National Park.

While in Ventura Harbor, the crew will host school visits and public dockside canoe tours. The canoe is also scheduled to make stops in Channel Islands Harbor and Santa Cruz Island during their time in Ventura.

Since arriving in San Francisco on Sept. 16, Hikianalia has made stops in Sausalito, Half Moon Bay, and Monterey.  After spending 10 days in Ventura County, the crew will head to Redondo Beach in Los Angeles, then Dana Point in Orange County.  The Alahula Kai o Maleka California Voyage will make its final stop in San Diego.

Hikianalia arrived at Half Moon Bay on Sept. 10 after sailing approximately 2,800 miles over 23 days. The 13-person crew navigated their way from Hawaiʻi to California using cues from nature, without the help of any GPS or other modern navigational instruments. The crew arrived just in time for the Global Climate Action Summit, which was held from Sept. 12 to 14.

Below is the voyageʻs tentative port schedule (weather permitting; schedule subject to change):

• Channel Islands Harbor – Oct. 10 to 14
• Channel Islands National Park, Santa Cruz Island – Oct. 14 to 16
• Redondo Beach, King Harbor (Los Angeles) – Oct. 17 to 22
• Dana Point (Orange County) – Oct. 23 to 30
• San Diego – Oct. 30 to Nov. 5
• About the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage:

The Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage is a part of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Mālama Honua campaign to inspire action toward an environmentally and culturally thriving world. The name of the voyage, Alahula Kai o Maleka, honors the “frequented pathway,” or alahula, across the ocean between Hawaiʻi and California, or kai o Maleka. The phrase Kai o Maleka literally means “sea of America,” a traditional reference to the Pacific waterway connecting the Hawaiian Islands and the West Coast. The voyage also aims to celebrate the Polynesian communities of California. While on the voyage, the crew hopes to share their Mālama Honua message with schools and communities and to continue developing the next generation of voyaging captains, navigators and crewmembers. The crew will also share the story of Hikianalia, a canoe that was created to blend ancient wisdom and modern solutions to address current environmental and cultural issues. The major sponsors of the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage are Hawaiian Airlines, OluKai, Kamehameha Schools, and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

Videos of the canoeʻs arrival are available online. More information on the Alahula Kai o Maleka California voyage can be found online. An overview video of Hikianalia is available online. A fact sheet about the voyage as well as photos and videos that the crew members have gathered from the voyage is available online.

The latest updates on the voyage and its upcoming events can be found on the Hōkūleʻa website.

About Hikanalia

Hikianalia, the wind- and solar-powered canoe built by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea, is the sister vessel of Hōkūleʻa. Hikianalia is the Hawaiian name for the star Spica, which rises together with Hōkūleʻa (Arcturus) in Hawaiʻi. They are sister stars because they break the horizon together at the latitude of the Hawaiian islands. Launched on Sept. 15, 2012, Hikianalia was designed specifically for the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. The canoe started as an escort vessel to Hōkūleʻa and is now used as a floating classroom intended to blend ancient wisdom with modern solutions. Hikianalia specializes in scientific exploration of marine resources and training for the next generation of voyagers. She combines the latest ecological technology with the heritage of voyaging tradition, as each of her hulls contain an electric motor powered by onboard photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight to electric propulsive energy. With a zero carbon footprint, her design is intended to support the “Mālama Honua” (care for Island Earth) mission.

Local outrigger canoe paddlers welcoming Hikianalia into Ventura Harbor. PC: Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Ventura County residents welcoming Hikianalia at the Ventura Harbor dock. PC: Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Hikianalia arriving at the Ventura Harbor dock. PC: Polynesian Voyaging Society.

A Ventura County hālau hula welcoming Hikianalia and its crew members with a hula performance. PC: Polynesian Voyaging Society.

Hikianalia crew members being greeted during the welcome ceremony at the Ventura Harbor dock. PC: Polynesian Voyaging Society.