Hau‘oli Mau Lānui from the staff and crew of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. As we celebrate the holiday season and look back in gratitude at 2023, we want to express our sincerest mahalo to you – our many volunteers, partners, hosts and supporters – who make it possible for Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to continue voyaging, connecting and inspiring.

Because of your collective kokua, we were able to launch the Moananuiākea Voyage’s circumnavigation of the Pacific from Juneau, Alaska in June, then sail through Southeast Alaska, along the coast of British Columbia and down the West Coast of the US, ending in San Diego. Prior to the launch, we celebrated the 31-year relationship between Hawaiʻi’s voyaging community and Southeast Alaska with a Heritage Sail to honor the compassion and generosity of our ‘Ohana of Alaska Natives including the late Judson Brown, Byron Mallott and Ernie Hillman.

Hōkūleʻa and her crews stopped in 45 ports, engaged with dozens of indigenous and Native Hawaiian communities, hosted on Hōkūleʻaʻs deck thousands of people who wanted to know her and Hawaiʻiʻs history, and connected with mission partners to amplify the importance of caring for the earth and its oceans. There were many voyaging milestones including sailing into the Gulf of Alaska and through straits and narrows, and reaching Hubbard Glacier, the farthest North Hōkūleʻa has ever been, which is two-thirds of the way to the North Pole. This voyage also provided invaluable training and sailing experiences for our newest crew members, while also seeing several crew members complete the final phase of captain training to take deep-sea command during the Moananuiākea Voyage. The lessons from these legs will continue to be shared through PVS’ storytelling and educational content on Waʻa Honua (Canoe for the Earth), www.waahonua.com, our virtual canoe and digital platform featuring video stories, articles, and educational resources focused on developing the “Navigator Mindset.”

Although our sail plan has changed and Hōkūleʻa returned to Hawaiʻi after San Diego on December 7 due to the Maui fires and the intensifying El Nino weather pattern, the voyage continues as we shift our focus in 2024 to home. Please stay tuned for details on PVS’ 2024 plans.

The achievements of this year would not be possible without the generous Aloha from our many supporters and members. As we enter 2024, we kindly ask for your continued support of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

We are excited to announce our 2024 PVS Membership design. Join the over one thousand members who allow us to continue our mission!

You can also visit our Support Us page to find more ways to support the Polynesian Voyaging Society!

For now, we end 2023 with an abundance of gratitude to all of you. Your support and caring for Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia carry them and all of us here at PVS into a hopeful and promising 2024. Sending you warm wishes for the happiest of holidays.