Hokule’a 2006, a painting by Herb Kane
The voyaging canoe Hokule‘a is traveling up the Kona coast, with the crew from the Makali‘i Voyaging ‘Ohana (Na Kalai Wa‘a) on board, doing training in preparation for Hokule‘a’s worldwide voyage next year.
They are currently in Miloli‘i, and will be sailing up to Ho‘okena later this week.
On this Sunday, July 28, Hokule‘a will leave Ho‘okena at about 7 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Honaunau at about 9 a.m. The wa‘a and her crew will be staying in Honaunau on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, before heading north on Wednesday morning.
We will have the very great honor of greeting Hokule‘a upon her arrival in Honaunau Bay, and host the crew at our halau lot while they are here.
This will be a great opportunity for our keiki and others to learn first hand about Hokule’a and our canoe voyaging traditions. In 1976, our newly reborn canoe club helped host Hokule‘a as she embarked on the first of her many voyages throughout the Polynesian Triangle. It is only fitting that as stewards of our bay, we welcome back Hokule‘a as she prepares for her worldwide journey.
The crew will be using our showers and kitchen area. Many of the crew will be sleeping on the wa‘a, but some will be camping on our lot; they have all their own camping gear. We will be hosting about 25-30 crew members and supporters.
Leinani Navas-Loa and Ka ‘Ohana O Honaunau will be coordinating with us to make this a memorable experience!
There will be some canoes going out to greet Hokule‘a as she arrives. If you would like to paddle out to greet her, come down and around 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning and help put canoes in the water.
Leinani will be doing a welcome oli and protocol as Hokule‘a approaches the shore.
Ka ‘Ohana O Honaunau will provide the core food for Sunday lunch and dinner (rice and a main course), but we’ll be helping out. Please bring a potluck dish to share for either or both meals. We may also be preparing some food in our kitchen, so if you have ulu, pumpkin, fruit, greens, etc., bring some down and help our kitchen staff.
At Sunday dinner there will be an evening talk story session with Chadd Paishon of Na Kalai Wa‘a.
Ka ‘Ohana O Honaunau will also be providing the food for dinner on Monday and Tuesday nights, so let’s help them out as much as we can! Dinner on those nights will take place in the church lot.
We can also help with making lei for the crew – if you can lend a hand with this, please bring them down on Sunday morning before 9:00 a.m.
See you all down there!
– Rafael Ramirez, Keoua President