Hōkūle‘a to complete three-year voyage

Hawai‘i’s iconic voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a will conclude its epic three-year sail around the globe and return home to the Hawaiian Islands on June 17.

On Saturday, the 61-foot Hōkūle‘a and its crew members will make their historic return to Hawai‘i at O‘ahu’s Magic Island after sailing more than 40,000 nautical miles since departing O‘ahu for the first deep sea leg of the voyage in May 2014.

“It is the realization of decades of hard work and planning on behalf of the Polynesian Voyaging Society crew and our partners and friends around the world to embark on the final leg of Hōkūle‘a’s voyage and return home,” said Nainoa Thompson, president of Polynesian Voyaging Society. “Watching Hōkūle‘a crest the waves of O‘ahu’s south shore as she returns home, much like the canoes of our ancestors, will be a once in a lifetime experience. We are overwhelmed with emotion at all we have accomplished during this historic voyage and we look forward to setting sail on the next chapter together.”

After leaving Hawaii in May 2014, the canoe, guided by traditional navigation methods, made stops around the world which included over 150 ports and 23 countries, engaging local communities and practicing how to live sustainably.

The mission of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines was to weave a lei of hope around the world through sharing indigenous wisdom, groundbreaking conservation and preservation initiatives while learning from the past and from each other, creating global relationships, and discovering the wonders of the Island Earth.

During the voyage, over 200 volunteer crew members have helped to sail the vessel and connect with more than 100,000 people throughout the world in communities across the South Pacific, Tasman Sea, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea, including Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Indonesia, Mauritius, South Africa, Brazil, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba, the East Coast of the United States, Canada, Panama, and the Galapagos Islands.

After returning to Hawaii in the fall of 2017, Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia will sail around the Hawaiian Islands to reconnect with local communities and schools to share stories and lessons learned on the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

Details: http://www.hokulea.com/

UPDATE: Hōkūle‘a arrived Saturday morning at 9:30 am HST, June 17, 2017.