After a two-day delay due to dangerous conditions in the ʻAlenuihāhā Channel between Maui and Hawai’i Island, the voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia set sail early Monday morning from Mauliola (Sand Island). The departure took place at around 5:00 a.m. as crews seized a safe and favorable weather window for the journey to Hilo.

The canoes, fully loaded and ready for the next leg of the Moananuiākea Voyage, are expected to arrive in Hilo on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 21, with a cultural arrival ceremony scheduled to begin at approximately 4:00 p.m. at the Grand Naniloa Hotel. The Hilo community is anticipated to greet the waʻa (canoes) in a welcoming celebration honoring traditional voyage arrival protocol. The arrival ceremony is open to the public.

The delay in departure underscores Polynesian Voyaging Society’s (PVS) steadfast commitment to safety and the importance of listening to and observing nature before launching each leg of the journey.

While in Hilo, the crew will participate in a dockside engagement day on Thursday, May 22, offering the community an opportunity to connect with the crew, learn about the voyage, and deepen their understanding of Polynesian navigation and values.

On Saturday, May 24, the Hilo community will host Hōkūleʻa Hoʻolauleʻa, a special celebration to honor Hōkūleʻa, Hikianalia, and their crew before the canoes continue their voyage to French Polynesia, the next stop on their journey around the Pacific.

The Moananuiākea Voyage will traverse approximately 43,000 nautical miles, visiting 36 countries and archipelagos, nearly 100 indigenous territories, and more than 345 ports. The voyage involves around 400 crew members from Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.

Hilo Engagement Schedule (weather-permitting)

The County of Hawaiʻi, Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau, Grand Naniloa Hotel and the Hilo Community are hosting the following public events in Hilo:

WELCOME CEREMONY AT GRAND NANILOA HOTEL
Wednesday, May 21, 4pm (weather-permitting)

PUBLIC DOCKSIDE ENGAGEMENT AT GRAND NANILOA HOTEL
Thursday, May 22, 3 to 6pm (weather-permitting)

HILO’S HŌKŪLEʻA HOʻOLAULEʻA
Saturday, May 24, 9am to 3pm (weather-permitting)
Wailoa Boat Harbor (Makai side of the Wailoa Bridge near the Suisan Fish Market) Hilo welcomes and celebrates Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia with dockside engagement, music, entertainment, food trucks and more.

Depending on weather conditions, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are tentatively scheduled to depart Hilo for French Polynesia on May 30 to resume the four-year Moananuiākea Voyage, Circumnavigation of the Pacific.