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Home , Ben Finney, Boom (sailing), Draft (sail), Eddie Aikau, Foresail, Halyard

BUILDING A DREAM By Gary T. Kubota -BULLETIN

HE two wooden koa masts noe Club, was an avid waterman and began came from a master - at a time when ca- builder on . noe sailing was a lost art in . The hull was made of layers of plywood Finney, a University of Hawaii cultural cTovered with a protective shell of fiber- and former glass, and the were canvas instead of surfer, had built and tested a 40-foot ver- traditional lauhala. sion of a Hawaiian double-hulled canoe in Despite having to combine modern with 1965, as a first step toward developing a traditional materials, builders of the voyag- larger version to to . ing canoe Hokule‘a kept as close as possi- Kane, who had spent his late teens and ble to the shape and weight of an authentic early adult life in the Midwest, left his Polynesian voyaging canoe while fighting career as an artist in advertising and pub- an uphill battle to gain financial support for lishing in Chicago to return to Hawaii to pur- their project more than 30 years ago. sue his goal of building a voyaging canoe. Their objective was to sail to Tahiti from Finney recalled Kane and Holmes coming Hawaii using traditional Pacific wayfinding to see him in the early 1970s. techniques that did not require western in- “We each had our own vision of not only struments, thereby refuting historians and making a scientific and academic point of archaeologists who argued that Polyne- setting the record straight but also having sians were incapable of making long-dis- the themselves taking the lead tance navigated voyages. in the process,” said Finney, who was the “Our project was a hard sell,” recalled founding president of the Polynesian Voy- chief designer Herb Kane. “Some people aging Society. thought we were nuts … But enough peo- Later, the society, under new leadership ple believed in what we were doing.” from Myron “Pinky” Thompson, built the What Kane and co-founders Ben Finney traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoe, the and the late Tommy Holmes did was build a Hawai‘iloa. 62-foot, double-hulled canoe that carried a Some crew members of the Hokule‘a crew of 15 people 2,400 miles from Honolua formed a nonprofit on the Big Island and Bay on Maui to Pape‘ete, Tahiti, in 1976. developed the voyaging canoe, Makali‘i. Also aboard were a dog, chicken, and a Along with Hokule‘a, Hawai‘iloa and pig, along with 1.25 tons of water and a ton Makali‘i made the Hawaii-Tahiti-Marquesas of canned, packaged and dried foods. voyage in 1995. Kane, whose grandparents Finney said he was aware at the time that were taro farmers in Waipio Valley on the Big some people thought Holmes, himself and Island, said he was aware of ancient chants Kane — “two and a Hawaiian from describing the lore of voyaging canoes. Chicago” — seemed an unlikely to One of them was “ ‘Ei‘A Hawaii” or launch such a project. “Behold Hawaii,” known to be composed But the three who founded the nonprofit centuries ago by the navigator of King Polynesian Voyaging Society in 1973 Moikeha after sighting the Big Island while demonstrated a love for sailing and a pas- returning from Tahiti . sion for showing that “My primary motive was to establish the were capable of traveling long distances on recognition that the voyaging canoe had to voyaging canoes using the intelligence gath- be the central artifact of Polynesian cul- ered through their knowledge of nature. ture, because without the canoes there Holmes, a member of the Outrigger Ca- would be no ,” Kane said.

T H E P I O N E E R S

Herb Kane, Ben Finney and Tommy Holmes founded the Polynesian Voyaging Society in 1973 to build a deep-sea canoe to sail from Hawaii to Tahiti and back. This trio and several others were instrumental in advancing the vision of canoe voyaging.

Herb Kane, 78, Ben Finney, 72, cul- Tommy Holmes, Kawika native Hawaiian tural anthropolo- 1945-1993, a free- Kapahulehua, artist and co- gist and co-founder lance writer, was a a native who founder of the Poly- of the Polynesian co-founder of the speaks fluent nesian Voyaging Voyaging Society, Polynesian Hawaiian, served Society, was the recruited and Voyaging Society. as the canoe’s general designer supervised the captain. and construction training of the supervisor for Hokule‘a crew. Hokule‘a.

Mau Piailug, 74, Myron “Pinky” , Eddie Aikau, Satawal, Microne- Thompson, 53, and Myron’s 1946-1978, sian islander, was 1924-2001, was son, became in renowned big-wave the navigator on instrumental in 1980 the first native surfer, was lost the historic trip to laying the Hawaiian in after the Hokule‘a Tahiti and later was foundation for centuries to was swamped on a mentor to future future ocean navigate a voyaging 1978 voyage. His Hawaiian naviga- journeys by the canoe from Hawaii devotion inspired tors. Polynesian to Tahiti. others to continue Voyaging Society. sailing.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MONTE COSTA EXCEPT EDDIE AIKAU, COURTESY OF AIKAU FAMILY

I N H O N O R A list of those who served aboard the Hokule‘a on its first voyage to and from Hawaii and Tahiti. An asterisk denotes those who are deceased.

MONTE COSTA , SATAWAL, • Clifford Ah Mow, Hokule‘a captain Bruce Blankenfeld, Shorty Bertelmann, WAIMEA, HAWAII • Ben Finney, HONOLULU • Sam Kalalau, HANA, MAUI above at right, works with crew “Hokule‘a has rewritten our Hawaiian in a way members during a training voyage for Boogie Kalama, KEAAU, HAWAII • Kawika Kapahuelehua, HONOLULU the Rapa Nui trip as the canoe sails Buffalo Keaulana, WAIANAE • John Kruse, KOLOA, • Leonard Puputauiki, TAHITI that has … restored our culture, heritage and ancestry.” near Kalaupapa on the north shore of Dukie Kuahulu, HONOLULU • Billy Richards, HONOLULU • Snake Ah Hee, LAHAINA, MAUI in 1997. Inset at right, Kainoa Lee, WAIMEA, HAWAII • Kimo Lyman, HALEIWA • Gordon Pi‘ianai‘i, HONOLULU Hokule‘a is joined by ’s Te Aurere, background, during the Penny Rawlins Martin, KALAMAULA, MOLOKAI • Maka‘ala Yates, OREGON • Ben Young, HONOLULU 1995 Na ‘Ohana Holo or “The David Lewis, NEW ZEALAND* • Nainoa Thompson, HONOLULU Voyaging Families of the Ocean” to Mel Kinney, HONOLULU • Tommy Holmes, HONOLULU* • Dave Lyman, HONOLULU* the . NAINOA THOMPSON ~ Navigator of the Hokule‘a Rodo Williams, TAHITI* • Andy Espirto, HONOLULU* • Keani Reiner, LIHUE, KAUAI* A T S

O V O Y A G E S S P A N N I N G 3 0 Y E A R S C

E T N O M !!!1976 !!!1978 !!!1995 !!!2000-2001 A A N I >> Hokule‘a overturned in heavy seas in T >> 7,000 total miles. Hokule‘a and T >> Hokule‘a’s millennium statewide sail, entitled “Our Islands, T S S E O O L the Molokai Channel on an attempt to Hawai‘iloa sailed to , Tahiti, Our Canoe” from Sept. 22, 2000, through May 20, 2001, L C C

U E E

B sail to Tahiti. The crew was rescued after from Hilo from Feb. 11 to March 4 as celebrated the vessel’s 25 years of voyaging by visiting T T - N N R A two nights, except for renowned big- O part of the Na ‘Ohana Holo Moana or O students and families in two dozen communities on Kauai, T M M his month S wave surfer and lifeguard Eddie Aikau, “The Voyaging Families of the Ocean.” , , Molokai, Maui and the Big Island. who had volunteered to paddle on a The voyaging canoe Makali‘i sailed from TTHE marks the 30th to Lanai for help. He was never Kawaihae, Hawaii, to Tautira, Tahiti, !!!2003 seen again, but his valor and sense of from Feb. 28 to March 27. On the voyage >> A cultural protocol group, Na Kupu‘eu Paemoku, traveled duty gave birth to the popular saying, from Tahiti to the Marquesas, Hokule‘a, anniversary of to Nihoa aboard Hokule‘a in the Northwestern Hawaiian “Eddie Would Go.” Hawai‘iloa and Makali‘i were joined by Islands to conduct traditional ceremonies. the historic Hawaii-Tahiti three South Pacific canoes. The journey T !!!1980 celebrated the resurgence in the canoe- !!!2004 building arts. While preparing for the sail of the Hokule‘a, which >> 6,000 total miles. Hawaii to Tahiti from trip and building Hawai‘iloa, Hokule‘a >> 2,500 total miles. Hokule‘a sailed to the most Northwestern IRST March 15 to April 17. Nainoa Thompson F completed the 6,000-mile crew members reached a new level of Hawaiian islands as part of a statewide educational initiative successfully guided the Hokule‘a awareness of the interdependence of called “Navigating Change.” The trip brought attention to the thousands of miles, becoming the first culture and the environment when they diverse environment in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, roundtrip journey on July native Hawaiian in centuries to navigate were unable to find koa trees in Hawaii including 7,000 species in 4,500-square miles of relatively using Pacific island wayfinding methods. forests large enough to build voyaging undisturbed coral reef. In a span of 18 days, a U.S. Fish and 26, 1976. Mau Piailug Mau Piailug was aboard as mentor to Cook Island voyaging-canoe crew members celebrate canoes. natives offered the Holoua Stender and Kame- Wildlife Service educator on the Hokule‘a spoke via satellite Thompson, who was the navigator on navigated the canoe to after arriving in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, Hawaii people the gift of logs for canoe- hameha Schools students place telephone to more than 1,800 students from as far away as the return trip to Hawaii from May 13 to on April 14, 1995, during the “Na ‘Ohana Holo Moana” or building. pohaku (stones) from Hawaii Maryland and American . OYAGE June 6. Tahiti without western “The Voyaging Families of the Ocean” journey. during an Oct. 19, 1999 cere- Hundreds of swam out to greet the Hokule‘a on June 4, 1976, >> 1,000 total miles. On May 15, mony honoring the arrival of the !!!2005 !!!1985-87 V instruments, using only after the canoe arrived in Tahiti. Some climbed aboard and rode the !!!1992 Hawai‘iloa and Hokule‘a left Hawaii on Hokule‘a at Anakena, Rapa Nui. V >> The cultural group Na Kupu‘eu Paemoku sailed to final distance to shore. >> 14,000 total miles. Hokule‘a retraced board a Matson container bound Mokumanamana (Necker Island) in the Northwestern Hawaiian ancient wayfinding ancestral migration routes, entering into >> 9,000 total miles. This voyage, “No Na Mamo: For the for Seattle and the “Northwest and !!!1999-2000 Islands to conduct protocol ceremonies on the longest day of >> 6,000 total miles including 2,400 from Honolua Bay, Maui, to Papeete, a “Voyage of Rediscovery,” from June 10, Children,” was designed to train a new generation of West Coast Tours.” On May 27, the two the year, June 21. Hokule‘a made 25 stops through the Hawaiian methods. Hokule‘a has since Tahiti, from May 1 to June 4. Led by master navigator Mau Piailug of Satawal, 1985, to May 27, 1987. The canoe sailed navigators. From June 17 to Dec. 1, the canoe went from arrived in British Columbia, visiting >> 12,000 total miles. From Hilo via islands and was met by thousands of students from 30 schools. Micronesia, the crew of Hokule‘a proved that ancient Pacific islanders could from Hawaii to Aotearoa (New Zealand), Honaunau, Hawaii, to Papeete, Tahiti, and then to Ra‘iatea, with several native American tribes to Nuku Hiva and Mangareva in the Also in 2005, the 30th anniversary of Hokule‘a’s launching, the completed 10 long-distance navigate thousands of miles of ocean using traditional wayfinding methods and back, with stops in Tonga, Samoa, Aitutaki, Rarotonga and back to Tahiti, with a different engage in cultural and educational Tuamotus, the voyage to Rapa Nui canoe carried many of the original 1976 crew to Oahu from instead of western instruments. The voyage also proved that the the , Tahiti, and the navigator on each leg. On the voyage back to Hawaii from exchanges. Hawai‘iloa continued north (), June 15, 1999, to Molokai to be honored at the Malama Kailua Festival. voyages. Six of the major double-hulled canoe was capable of sailing long distances and gave credence Tuamotus before returning to Hawaii. Nov. 5-Dec. 1, the Hokule‘a crew contacted the crew of the to Alaska to visit Ketchikan and Juneau Feb. 27, 2000, undercut Kon Tiki to the theory that Polynesians were sailing great distances long before The trips helped to reawaken pride in space shuttle Columbia flying overhead. The crews to thank Sealaska Corp. and the Tlingit, explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s theory A ones are charted below. T European explorers. While celebrated the bicentennial of common traditions of navigation and participated in conversations with students in Hawaii Haida and Tsimshian tribes for that migration into the Pacific S O C

independence from England, native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders voyaging among other Pacific island about the importance of . On board donating the two Sitka spruce logs for began in South America. Hokule‘a

——— E celebrated a renaissance of ancient cultural traditions including canoe- people. Nainoa Thompson was the Columbia was Hawaii-born astronaut and the canoe’s hulls. Hokule‘a went south showed that wind from the east T N

Compiled by Gary T. Kubota, Star-Bulletin building and sailing. navigator, accompanied by Mau Piailug. Punahou graduate Lacey Veach. shifted and became less O

to share its history with Hawaiians, M native Americans, and others along the pronounced at certain periods of West Coast, with stops in Portland, San the year. Hokule‘a had reached the Francisco, Santa Barbara, Long Beach, third and final corner of the HAWAII Pe ‘a or ia ihu ‘Ope‘a and San Diego. In , — the other . Hokule‘a was greeted by 32 paddling corners being Hawaii and Aotearoa canoes and showered with orchids (New Zealand). from the Golden Gate Bridge. A crowd S H I N I N G S T A R estimated in the thousands gathered to greet the canoe. Hokule‘a is named after the star Arcturus that passes directly over the Big Island. Hokule‘a means the “Star of Gladness” 1976 in Hawaiian. The canoe has logged more than 110,000 Pueo 1980 nautical miles in 11 long-distance voyages, plus six Horn for Radio box contains two radios — one MAP AREA statewide sails and numerous training voyages: Thousands of students have learned about the Hokule‘a 1985-87 holding the for long distance and the other for and traditional navigation methods through programs >> Displacement: 12.5 tons fully loaded top . short distance to communicate with 1992 run by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, including these >> : 2 feet, 6 inches escort boat, the 45-foot steel 1995 elementary school students who pulled the canoe >> Sail area: 540 square feet Kama Hele. 1999 ashore at Kualoa in February 1997. >> Weight: 7 tons Pe‘a ia hope MARQUESAS >> Carrying capacity: 5.5 tons or Paepae ISLANDS Aft sail >> Cost: $125,000, plus numerous donations SAMOA

FIJI Kia mua Kilo TUAMOTUS Foremast Navigator’s seat RAROTONGA Kaula pa‘a TAHITI Lines holding up the . go fore SOCIETY Kaula paepae COOK ISLANDS ISLANDS and aft; shrouds to line for pulling open the sail the sides. and holding it in place.

RAPA NUI Microwave antenna NEW ZEALAND links up to escort C R O S S I N G T H E V A S T P A C I F I C boat, Kama Hele. Hokule‘a navigators use a variety of natural elements to sail great distances across the Pacific. Here are some of them:

Papa uila Solar panels

The sun Ocean swells Clouds and birds The stars Twice a day, at Swells are waves that The shape, height and Stars rise and set in sunrise and sunset, have traveled beyond color of clouds particular directions the sun gives a the wind systems that foretell the weather, on the horizon. directional point to created them. The and they also Knowing that gives the traveler, rising in navigator can orient accumulate over land. the navigator a the east and setting in the canoe by using Also, the presence of directional point the west. the direction of swells seabirds indicates from which he as a guide. nearby land. can orient the canoe.

Haka Na Leo Using the canoe th) Nalani as a compass Manu Na Leo Nalani 1 The handrails on the Noio Manu Akau (Nor Noio Manu hope Hokule‘a have eight Aina vertical grooves NW NE Aina Stern endpiece La carved into the wood, La filled with bright red Komohana (West) Hikina (East) La epoxy resin. These La Aina Aina

grooves are compass Hema (South) Hoe uli SW SE Noio points, providing the Noio Manu Steering paddle Nalani Na Leo navigator with Manu or sweep Nalani Haka

references to use Na Leo Haka Mo‘o when viewing the Sideboard or gunwale stars in the night sky near the horizon. Non-instrument navigation To guide them across the Pacific, ancient 2 Using the star Sirius Web camera to access images during a voyage: navigators created mental compasses that as an example, the >> Address: http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/pvs. helped orient their to the rising and navigator stands in a ‘Akea Provisions stored MAST HEIGHT: setting points of stars. From this, Hawaii’s 31 FEET preselected point at Starboard hull in hull: premier navigator, Nainoa Thompson, the right side of the >> Food: 2,500 developed the Hawaiian Star Compass. It back of the boat. where pounds, including features 32 equidistant directional points Assuming he wants to Ama meals are canned chicken, Sleeping compartments: around the horizon, with each point 11.25 head in a certain Port hull prepared on pasta, fish, canned Boards are placed across degrees from the next point (11.25 degrees direction (in this case, butane gas vegetables and hull access panels where x 32 points = 360 degrees). It, along with south), he knows he stoves. peanut butter and provisions are stored. other navigational elements like the sun, ‘Iake must keep the canoe Iwikuamo‘o jelly crackers ocean swells, clouds and birds, are used Crossbeams joining lined up with Sirius Keel >> Water: 2,500 COMMEMORATING HOKULE A S during Hokule‘a’s journeys. Kuamo‘o kino or ke‘ele the two hulls. and one of the Hull pounds, the Kapalima: Canvas grooves on the rail. equivalent of 250 covers provide HISTORIC 1976 JOURNEY Palekana gallons. shelter for the Pola Safety railing sleeping compartments. 1 Pale wai or pale kai Splash guard Bulkhead LENGTH BEAM 2 62 FEET, 4 INCHES 17 FEET, 6 INCHES

F R I D A Y , J U L Y 7 , 2 0 0 6 GRAPHICS BY DAVID SWANN / [email protected]