On this day, the double hulled canoe starts a new chapter.
After 18 months in drydock, the newly renovated Hokulea was brought to the launching ramp of the Marine Education Center, with many helping hands to guide her. It’s only fitting, considering many of those hands helped rebuild her back to being seaworthy once again.
"All the hands, all the helpers that have gotten to put their aloha into her and now she’ll be on the water and sailing, and that’s really where that mana comes alive," says crew member Kaiulani Murphy.
The Hokulea will go through sea trials for the next few weeks, and then go around the state next month. The plan is to travel around the world sometime next year. As always, the voyages will be done without using modern navigational instruments. The Hokulea has already travelled the Pacific, visiting places such as Tahiti, New Zealand, and Japan. And those who have sailed in those voyages say Hokulea has a way of magically bringing people together.
"Eleven years ago I was fortunate enough to get into an ocean learning academy with Nainoa Thompson and from then on, she planted the seed and it’s still growing," says crew member Kaina Holomalia.
The Hokulea attracted more than a thousand volunteers to help out during drydock. It’s just one of the signs of how much interest it has gained. When it started 37 years ago, it had about 30 crew members.
"Now we have hundreds of crew throughout the state and the Pacific, and the world, and the support system itself has just mushroomed so greatly," says master navigator Bruce Blankenfeld.
With the renovation, the Hokulea stands at 62 feet tall and 20 feet wide, just a couple of feet wider than before. She’s also built to last another 40 years before going through another major overhaul. So there are plenty of adventures ahead for those willing to set sail with her.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
