I felt greatly honored and privileged to be invited to represent the Polynesian
Voyaging Society as a crewmember on Hōkūleʻa on LEG 14 of the Moananuiākea Voyage in
French Polynesia and Cook Islands this summer from July 19 to August 23. As a new crew
member, I am grateful for leadership’s confidence in me as crewmember and a sailor and
for giving me this opportunity to participate in such a significant way. I am thankful for the
acceptance

Our time in Tautira was incredible. It being Hōkūleʻa’s home in Tahiti, we were so
well received and taken care of. Being adopted into the family of Mama Vahirua was very
special to me. I was truly made to feel like a part of the family, not only hers but her whole
extended family as well. I recognize how unique this is, as not all crew members get the
opportunity to visit such a special place, even those participating for many years. I will
value the time spent there and relationships built for the rest of my life.

One of the coolest experiences for me was to see the traditional navigation in
practice. After studying it in theory, seeing it firsthand pulled it all together, helping me
understand it on a whole other level. I was very impressed watching Kaʻiulani and Kamaki
do their work as navigators. I am now motivated to study navigation more and someday try
it in practice, even though I had never considered it much in the past.

One stormy night on the movement from Bora Bora to Rarotonga the navigation
became very difficult. The clouds filled in, and there were no stars or other celestial bodies
to guide us. We were forced to heavily rely on ocean swells and intuition to keep the canoe
traveling in the right direction. For a brief moment, when I wasn’t sure if we were maintaining
the correct heading, a hole in the clouds formed just above the mast, perfectly framing the
Mānaiakalani constellation. It was in the exact same place, relative to the mast, as it was
at the same time the previous night, confirming we were on track to Rarotonga. I found this
significant as the moʻolelo these stars tell is of Maui, who used his hook to pull the islands
up from the sea, just as we were attempting to do. The challenge I enjoyed most was
watching for our target islands on the horizon.

To sum up this experience in one word: life changing. The things I saw, the
relationships I built, and the experiences I had have forever changed me as a person for the
better. It was a once in a thousand lifetimes kind of experience, and I am forever grateful to
have been a part of it. I am blown away by the fact that voyaging has become a big part of
my life. Looking back, sailing on Hōkūleʻa seemed like an unattainable dream, now
becoming a reality. I anxiously look forward to my next opportunity to sail with the
Polynesian Voyaging Society and for other opportunities to be involved. Mahalo! Mahalo!
Mahalo!

Photos: Kalo Daley & Michael Wilson