Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 6, 1 June 2006 — Tahiti voyage cancelled [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tahiti voyage cancelled

The voyage to Tahiti that had been announced for this spring to conimemorate the 30th anniversary of Hōkūle'a's landmark first voyage has been called off. Polynesian Voyaging society leader Nāinoa Thompson said the trip was cancelled so that Hōkūle'a could help support Mau Piailug, the ailing Micronesian grandmaster navigator who helped Hawaiians revive their lost maritime traditions. Mau had hoped to sail a teaching eanoe that is being built for him on Hawai'i island to his home island of Satawal before typhoon season set in this spring, and Hōkūle'a was eommitted to accompanying the new eanoe, called the Maisu, if it was able to make the voyage in time, Thompson said. The new eanoe was not able to be properly finished before the final cutoff date of May, however, and is now tentatively scheduled to make the voyage next winter, after typhoon season abates. Thompson said that instead Hōkule'a crewmembers will focus on training new navigators this sunimer, including visits to four Hawai'i communities where new voyaging canoes are being built, and are planning for a threemonth voyage to escort Maisu to Micronesia in starting January.

Hokule planned 30th anniversary voyage to Tahiti has been oalled off. Photo: Monte Costa