Embarking on the Alaska Heritage Sail
Before the Moananuiākea Voyage launches in June 2023, the Polynesian Voyaging Society is embarking on the Alaska Heritage Sail through the southeast region to pay homage to the Native Alaskan…
Balancing the Canoe
Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson and Hōkūleʻa Captain Lehua Kamalu describe trusting the natural world and the principles of adjusting the sails to balance the canoe. “The navigator needs to know…
Vigilance and the Gift of Voyaging – Bruce Blankenfeld
Pwo Navigator and Captain Bruce Blankenfeld describes the different aspects of crewing Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia and reflects on the opportunities that voyaging has given him. “When I think about voyaging…I…
Pulling an Island
After more than two weeks of voyaging, Hōkūle’a and Hikianalia find land, first pulling the island of Arutua and then landing in Rangiroa on May 6, 2022. And it's a…
Reflections on Crew Selection
In May 2022, Hōkūleʻa successfully traveled the ancient sea corridor Kealaikahiki (Road to Tahiti), led by Hōkūleʻa's first female captain and navigator, Lehua Kamalu. In advance of the voyage, she…
The Magic of Kealaikahiki
Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson explains why the ancient Polynesian sea road Kealaikahiki is the best training ground for young navigators. “I hope that in the next 50 years that we’ll…
The Next Big Decision
Our canoes and their crews have emerged from the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). National Weather Service Pacific Region Director Ray Tanabe and Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson discuss what the crew…
Heritage Pūʻolo – Kealaikahiki, Marae Taputapuātea, and Moananuiākea
In this three-part series entitled “Illuminating Our Ancestral Connections,” learn more about Moananuiākea, the ancestral oceanic homeland of the indigenous people of the Pacific; Kealaikahiki, the heritage corridor traveled by…
Learning Our Earth – Intertropical Convergence Zone/Doldrums
Pwo Navigator Nainoa Thompson describes the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), also known as the Doldrums. This region around the equator is where the northeast trade winds and southeast trade winds…