Crew Reflections
Crew Reflection: Nā Inoa Kaulana
And so today, I witnessed something rare. Our crew took time to add the names of two individuals who have left us in the physical world but still guide us as we sail these waʻa kaulua. Captains and Pwo Navigators Kālepa Baybayan and Shorty Bertelmann names were added to the navigator’s platform. Kālepa on the starboard hull next to Nainoa and Shorty on the port side next to Mau.
Crew Reflection: Leave It Better Than You Found It
We are coming up on a week in our time here in Aotearoa and it’s amazing to see how well our crew has found our rhythm to accomplish the tasks at hand….
Crew Reflection: First Week of Dry Dock!
Aloha kākou, we just wrapped our first day with both canoes on the hard deck. The massive Travel Lift plucked each canoe out of the water with ease. Hōkū came out first and then Hiki. We spent the day getting set up under the cover to work on the Masts, Spars, Booms, and paddles as they are all no longer attached to their respective canoes.
Crew Reflection: Mangahāwea
We were honored to have had the privilege to be welcomed at Mangahāwea. Even from a mile out, there was an indescribable aura surrounding this sacred place as Motorua grew larger with the closing distance. As we approached, we saw our Māori ʻohana waiting for us along the beach, they called us in…
Crew Reflection: We’ve Felt Sudden and Vibrant Shifts In Our Natural Observances
We’ve felt sudden and vibrant shifts in our natural observances across the beautiful Moananuiākea/Te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa. Over the past week, we’ve...
Crew Reflection: This Experience In One Word – Life Changing.
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.
Crew Reflection: They Gave Earth Its Breath, Hā, Laying the Foundation for All Life That Would Follow.
It was an immense pleasure and privilege to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for planktonic ocean life with the crew members of Leg 13 and the communities we engaged with. As part of the educational partnership between PVS and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), I collected samples for various studies throughout the journey.
Crew Reflection: Moʻorea
The night before our departure to Mo’orea, a quiet sense of heaviness settled over the crew and the community as we gathered for a final dinner in Mataiea. In just a short time, we had been embraced, cared for, and made to feel like family by our new ʻohana. The memories we created and the experiences we shared during our brief stay had left a deep imprint. Mataiea would forever live in each of our hearts.
Crew Reflection: Mataiea Is Full of So Much Passion, Aloha, Laughter, and Makana
Mataiea is full of so much passion, aloha, laughter, and makana. We are already feeling sadness about leaving this incredibly special place, a place where they unapologetically hold onto their traditions, their language, their songs, and their distant Paoa relatives as well as the canoe that brought us to them. We will forever be changed by this place.