Hokulea, Hikianalia crews prepare to return to Hawaii after successful training voyage

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The crews of Hokulea and Hikianalia are in French Polynesia, gearing as much as head again dwelling to Hawaii as a part of a coaching expedition for the subsequent era of navigators.

The canoes are at the moment anchored within the Tuamotu archipelago about 175 miles northeast of Tahiti.

Grasp navigator Nainoa Thompson is impressed with how the younger crews have excelled in the course of the Kealaikahiki voyage.

“They trusted nature, that nature and the heavens and the oceans and the ambiance would present them the best way,” mentioned Thompson, president of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. “They trusted Hokulea as a result of it is aware of the best way. This shall be its eighth voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti they usually trusted one another.”

Thompson says the crews arrived in Tahiti in 17 days, which is 2 weeks sooner than when he first sailed that route many years in the past.

However there’s nonetheless a lot to endure because the journey again to Hawaii is dealing with stormy circumstances, particularly close to the Doldrums.

“This space that we have now to undergo, we name it the convergence and on one hand, we’re very cautious of how we navigate via that, but it surely’s actually exhausting to navigate,” Thompson defined.

“Usually there’s no solar, no stars, and moon or planets. You gotta navigate by the ocean waves, even within the black of night time.”

These are invaluable classes, particularly with the Moananuiakea voyage, the circumnavigation of the pacific, on monitor for subsequent yr.

“Whether or not you might be pressured otherwise you enable your self or invited into the pure world of the oceans, it’s sophisticated,” Thompson mentioned. “It’s complicated, however it is going to navigate you and also you simply must belief that.”

They’re planning to go away the Tuamotus within the coming days after guaranteeing everybody checks adverse for COVID-19.

The voyage again to Hawaiian waters is anticipated to take about three weeks.

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