Hometown
Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi
Voyage(s)
Moananuiākea Voyage – Leg 7: Tacoma to San Francisco
Bio
Momi comes from a family of “water people,” he grew up on the water and is now a professional sport fishing captain. He first sailed on a waʻa kaulua off Hawaiʻi Island some 20 years ago, but the Moananuiākea Voyage is the first time he is sailing on Hōkūleʻa. “It means a lot,” Momi says, “Hōkūleʻa is educational, spiritual, family, togetherness, and a part of the blood and heart of who we are as water people and people who love the ocean and love to communicate with other cultures. Hōkūleʻa has a lot of meaning … itʻs a joy that you can take from one end of the ocean to the other to share your manaʻo and love.”
Because of his vast experience at sea, Momi was called upon specifically for leg 7, which brings Hōkūleʻa from the inland sea into the open Pacific Ocean from Washington to California. He says he wants to be a productive part of the crew and help in anyway he can, providing “support, knowledge and kōkua.” He says when preparing to be at sea, priorities are safety, working together and having back-up plans. He sees being a part of the Moananuiākea Voyage as a “responsibility and honor.”
Momi is always cognizant of representing his family and the “blessings from Akua and kupuna…that they are with us when we travel.” And when heʻs on land in his everyday life, he says he misses “the peace” of being at sea. “Itʻs a very personal time for mind, body, soul, for recharging.”
Because of his vast experience at sea, Momi was called upon specifically for leg 7, which brings Hōkūleʻa from the inland sea into the open Pacific Ocean from Washington to California. He says he wants to be a productive part of the crew and help in anyway he can, providing “support, knowledge and kōkua.” He says when preparing to be at sea, priorities are safety, working together and having back-up plans. He sees being a part of the Moananuiākea Voyage as a “responsibility and honor.”
Momi is always cognizant of representing his family and the “blessings from Akua and kupuna…that they are with us when we travel.” And when heʻs on land in his everyday life, he says he misses “the peace” of being at sea. “Itʻs a very personal time for mind, body, soul, for recharging.”