Hokulea Leaves New Zealand For Sydney!

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Hokulea Leaves New Zealand For Sydney! was Originally Posted on April 27, 2015 by

The Hokulea is a voyaging canoe which is traveling the world under sail and stars.

From http://www.hokulea.com/

Embedded in the story of HōkÅ«le’a and the culture that created her is the story of a 2000-year-old relationship with special islands and the sea. It is a story that was almost lost, and was close to extinction. But ultimately it is a story of survival, rediscovery, and the restoration of pride and dignity. It is a story of a society revaluing its relationship to its island home. It is a story that is crucially important as the world’s populations struggle with the ability to live in balance with our island that we call Earth. It is a story that is still being written for our children and all future generations.

HōkÅ«leÊ»a, our Star of Gladness, began as a dream of reviving the legacy of exploration, courage, and ingenuity that brought the first Polynesians to the archipelago of HawaiÊ»i. The canoes that brought the first Hawaiians to their island home had disappeared from earth. Cultural extinction felt dangerously close to many Hawaiians when artist Herb Kane dreamed of rebuilding a double-hulled sailing canoe similar to the ones that his ancestors sailed. Though more than 600 years had passed since the last of these canoes had been seen, this dream brought together people of diverse backgrounds and professions. Since she was first built and launched in the 1970s, HōkÅ«le’a continues to bring people together from all walks of life. She is more than a voyaging canoe—she represents the common desire shared by the people of Hawaii, the Pacific, and the World to protect our most cherished values and places from disappearing.

Hokulea and her sister ship sat in Kealakekua Bay (at the bottom of my street)  not all that long ago.

On its 1978 voyage, it capsized and surfing legend Eddie Aikau left the ship on surfboard to try to get help. He was never seen again and is the basis of the phrase “Eddie Would Go”. A surf competition is held in his honor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Aikau

Hokulea was designed by world famous artist Herb Kane. I had the thrill of sitting at his table at an event a year or so before his unfortunate death. His Hawaiian renderings are beautiful and detailed. http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/index/founder_and_teachers/herb_kane.html

Here is a short informational video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmOccL4pT_Q