Tacoma to Welcome Hōkūleʻa
After a four-day engagement in Seattle, Hōkūleʻa will be departing Bell Harbor Marina tomorrow morning at approximately 7:30 am for her next stop: Tacoma, Washington. The legendary voyaging canoe is expected to approach Brown’s Point at around 11:00 am to request permission of the Puyallup Tribe to visit. After traditional protocols, the Puyallup will escort the Hōkuleʻa to the waterway fronting Thea’s Park at about 11:30 AM where they’ll be met by the outrigger canoe community for a water welcome. Then the entire flotilla will proceed to Foss Waterway Seaport where they will dock and observe landfall protocols around 12 noon, as well as prepare for a formal ceremony of welcome inside the Foss Museum at about 1:00 PM.
Schedule of Arrival Events
August 30, 2023
Please note: Times are fluid due to water conditions and First Nations protocols.
7:30 am – Hōkūleʻa departs Bell Harbor Marina, Seattle
11:00 am – Hōkūleʻa arrives in Puyallup Tribal Waters
11:30 am – Water Welcome, Traditional Protocols Theaʻs Park
12:00 pm – Hōkūleʻa arrives at Tacoma’s Foss Waterway Seaport
1:00 pm – Tribal Nation and City of Tacoma Welcome Ceremony
- Speakers include Tribal leaders; Kristina Walker, Deputy Mayor of Tacoma; John McCarthy, Commissioner of the Port of Tacoma, and others.
3 pm to 5 pm – Various Pacific Islands Performances
6 pm to 7 pm – Presentation featuring Captain Bruce Blankenfeld and the Crew
Public Canoe Tours
September 1 and 2, 2023
Weather-permitting, Hōkūleʻa will remain at the Foss Waterway Seaport until September 5. The crew will conduct public canoe tours on Friday, September 1, 1-4pm and Saturday, September 2, 9-11am and 1-4pm at the Foss Waterway Seaport. Hōkūleʻa’s next stop will be Port Townsend.