The Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) announced that the departure of the voyaging canoes Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia from Hilo has been postponed due to weather conditions. The canoes are now scheduled to depart Hilo on Tuesday morning, June 3, at approximately 10:00 a.m., to continue the Moananuiākea Voyage, a circumnavigation of the Pacific.

PVS leadership made the decision to delay the launch after monitoring changing weather patterns and determining that Tuesday’s winds would allow for more favorable conditions for the canoes to sail on Kealaikahiki, the ancestral sea road connecting Hawaiʻi and Tahiti. Ensuring the safety of all aboard and respecting the power of nature are foundational principles of the voyaging tradition.

What: Hilo Departure, Relaunch of Moananuiākea Voyage

When: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
9 am – Canoe Protocol
10am – Departure (weather-permitting)

Where: Departure will take place from Palekai in Hilo. The canoes are docked at a restricted harbor area with no public access. Credentialed media will be able to enter with a PVS escort.

Public Viewing Area: The public will be able to view the departure from Palekai by the breakwater, community access gate, which will be open 7am on Tuesday morning

The departure marks a major milestone in the voyage, which was paused in 2023 due to the devastating fires in Lahaina and unpredictable El Niño weather patterns. The first destination on this leg of the journey is French Polynesia, with landfall expected in about three weeks. While in French Polynesia, the canoes will make stops in Taputapuātea on Ra‘iātea and Papeʻete, Tahiti, and will spend approximately one month engaging with local communities and honoring deep ancestral ties.

Since arriving in Hilo on May 21, the crew has been focused on final canoe preparations and intensive safety training while awaiting a favorable departure window.

After French Polynesia, Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are expected to continue voyaging through the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Aotearoa (New Zealand) later this year.

The Moananuiākea Voyage aims to circumnavigate the Pacific Ocean, covering more than 40,000 nautical miles and visiting nearly 100 Indigenous territories and Pacific port communities. The voyage honors the wisdom of Indigenous navigation, builds bridges between cultures, and seeks to inspire a global movement to protect and care for the oceans.