Punaluʻu, Oʻahu

Kahia had only first sailed on Hōkūleʻa six months prior, when he found himself in Alaska on the Moananuiākea Voyage, and his life, he says, will never be the same because, for him, Hōkūleʻa means “everything.” “After only half a year of serving PVS and promptings of the spirit, I would like to dedicate myself to sailing for the rest of my life.” He is considering studying sailing and canoe construction at the University of Guam. “My time voyaging has consumed me so much that I could not see myself doing anything else that would make me feel so fulfilled.”

Prior to voyaging, Kahia had been on a two-year mission in Kiribati and he says “standing on Hōkūleʻa makes me feel a purpose in harmony with my old mission. Not only living in rough conditions but the sense of uplifting so many people worldwide.” He says “the ocean encourages confidence and humility simultaneously” and he’s excited to dive “into this unknown and learning the secrets of the sea and the functioning of the earth.” He is humbled to be able to contribute to that and to represent his ʻohana on the waʻa: “I represent the Koʻolauloa community, a Graduate of Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Hauʻula, my Samoan and Hawaiian family, and the thousands more on the other side of the veil.”

No surprise that when asked what he misses most about being at sea, when he’s back in his everyday life, he says “Everything. The crew members I make new relationships with. The practice I relate to with my ancestors knowing it thrives today.”