On Tuesday morning at approximately 11:30 a.m., voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departed from Palekai in Hilo for French Polynesia, continuing the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s (PVS) Moananuiākea Voyage, a circumnavigation of the Pacific. The four-year journey spans an estimated 43,000 nautical miles, 36 countries and archipelagoes, nearly 100 Indigenous territories, and more than 400 ports.

Prior to departure, Kumu Hula Kekuhi Kealiʻikanakaole and her haumana led a cultural departure ceremony. Together with the crew, they chanted Hōkūleʻa’s genealogy honoring the people and places from the canoe’s 50-year legacy and the ancestral knowledge that guides the crew across Kealaikahiki. As the chant was concluding, a downpour over the gathering and canoes soon gave way to sunshine and fair winds.

Dozens of family members, supporters, and well-wishers gathered on the dock at the Port of Hilo and along the shoreline of Palekai to bid a fond farewell to the crew. Many shared lei and tearful embraces with the crew before they boarded the canoes to embark on the approximately three-week journey to Tahiti. Lei lovingly crafted by the Hilo community were delivered from the public viewing area across the bay by Keaukaha’s wa’a Kiakahi and then draped on the hulls of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia.

As the canoes pushed off from Palekai, the air was filled with the sound of traditional Hōkūleʻa voyaging chants and the deep, resonant calls of pū (conch shell) blown from the shore. Tahitian dance troupe O Tahiti E added to the powerful sendoff with rhythmic drumming, dancing, and singing, connecting Tahiti and Hawai‘i through cultural expression and shared voyaging heritage.

On this leg of the journey to French Polynesia, Hōkūleʻa is captained by PVS CEO and Pwo navigator Nainoa Thompson, who leads a crew of seven. The sail will focus on traditional navigation and deep immersion into nature while retracing Kealaikahiki, the ancestral sea road to Tahiti. Hikianalia, captained by Archie Kalepa, serves as the support vessel for this voyage and carries a crew of 12. The canoe will assist with safety, education, and science while also supporting navigation training led by Pwo navigator Bruce Blankenfeld.

After arrival in French Polynesia the canoes are expected to make stops at the sacred voyaging site of Taputapuātea on Raʻiātea, and at Papeʻete, Tahiti. There will be crew changes while the canoes are scheduled to spend about one month in French Polynesia with crew members engaging with communities before continuing the Moananuiākea journey around the Pacific.

“This leg is about listening deeply to the ocean, to the stars, to nature and to our ancestors,” said Thompson. “We are sailing the ancient sea road to reconnect with Tahiti, our ancestral homeland. This voyage honors the teachings of Master Navigator Mau Piailug passed down to us and reminds us of our kuleana to carry them forward.”

The Moananuiākea Voyage is a 43,000-nautical-mile journey expected to last four years. It began in Alaska in June 2023, then paused to return to Hawai’i following the Lahaina wildfires and due to the unpredictable weather conditions of El Niño, after which Hōkūle’a sailed throughout Hawai’i in the Pae ‘Āina Statewide Sail.

The mission of the Moananuiākea Voyage is to unite the Pacific through ancestral knowledge, ocean exploration, and cultural renewal. The voyage seeks to inspire communities worldwide to take action for a healthy ocean, a thriving planet, and a sustainable future, while elevating the leadership and voices of Pacific peoples on the global stage.

Photo Gallery: Hilo Departure