2012 Updates
- For earlier updates, see the Newsletter Archive
- Most Recent Newsletter: Hoʻoilo (Wet Season) 2011 with Membership Letter Insert.
Mālama Wa‘a Update: January 12
In the New Year, the work toward Hōkūle‘a’s rebirth continues, in preparation for the Worldwide Voyage ...
The front manu (the end piece curving upward), now attached to the starboard hull:
A new steering sweep positioned at the back of the port hull:
Volunteers lashing down a ‘iako (crossbeam) at the bow of the port hull, under the guidance of Mark Kimura (bottom left), of Honolulu Community College’s Marine Education and Training Center:
The crew, lashing down a ‘iako (crossbeam) at the aft of the starboard hull:
The art of lashing: intricate line work tying together the parts of the canoe:
2012 Membership Drive: A Message from Nainoa
Aloha mai kākou,
As many of you who have visited, volunteered or read our newsletters this year know, 2011 has been an extraordinary year of restoration and rebirth for Hōkūle‘a. The Polynesian Voyaging Society has been humbled and honored to have our volunteers donate more than 12,000 hours of work – so far – rebuilding and renewing Hōkūle‘a in the most extensive dry dock of her lifetime. (See Nov. 19 progress report below.)
When Hōkūle‘a reenters the water in early 2012, she will be two feet wider; 1,000 pounds lighter; and her front mast will be two feet taller. All of the wood rot from 36 years of voyaging has been removed. After sailing the equivalent of six times around the earth, Hōkūle‘a’s hulls – designed by PVS founder and mentor Herb Kawainui Kane – will be the only original elements of her configuration.
She will be stronger, lighter, more stable and safer, as a requirement for her planned 2012 statewide sail and her three-year Worldwide Voyage (WWV), slated to begin in 2013.
None of these actions or plans would be possible without the support of our members, volunteers, donors, staff, crew and leadership. Numerous generations and types of supporters – from school children to kūpuna – have inspired and reminded us during our dry dock to remain true to our
voyaging values and to our kuleana to our canoe, our home and each other.
The rebuilt Hōkūle‘a, while the same iconic canoe, will be a gift from one generation to the next, with the capability to sail for at least another 36 years. Hōkūle‘a is a living part of our genealogy. The 2011 dry dock may have far exceeded our estimates for time and money required, but the generous response of our extended community has also exceeded our expectations and leaves us grateful and hopeful for the next generation’s ability to continue Hōkūle‘a’s legacy.
We invite you to continue on our journey with us as a 2012 member of our non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization via a tax-deductible donation. As before, we will provide you with a membership decal, and – based on the level of your contribution – you may also receive a 2012, dark blue, cotton, short-sleeved T-shirt printed with an original drawing by a WWV crewmember from Kaua‘i, Keala Kai. We also offer the option of gift memberships to share during the holiday season.
- Membership Form
- Newsletter: Hoʻoilo (Wet Season) 2011
Mahalo for your participation in and support for our preparations toward our WWV challenge: “Becoming a catalyst for positive change in Hawai‘i by constantly learning from and nurturing relationships worldwide that share the values of, and responsibility for, caring for Island Earth, her oceans and children, while honoring our heritage and perpetuating our culture.”
With you as a virtual or real crew member aboard the restored Hōkūle‘a, PVS will be able to continue to honor our teachers and mentors, while embracing the responsibility of passing on Hōkūle‘a and her heritage and values to new generations.
Me ke Ha‘aha‘a,
Nainoa Thompson, President
(Photo top right: Nainoa on Hōkūle‘a, by George Lee, Star Bulletin Archives)
Questions? Contact PVS at pvshawaii@hawaiiantel.net (email) or (808) 842-1101 (phone).
You can also make a donation to support the restoration of Hōkūle‘a and the mission of PVS via Google Checkout:
Te Mana O Te Moana (“The Spirit of the Sea”)
Follow the Pacific Voyagers, seven wa‘a, or canoes, with crews from Aotearoa, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, and pan-Pacific (2), whose mission is to teach young people traditional knowedge and respect for the ocean as well as increase scientfic knowledge and awareness of "the costs which ocean climate change will have for us all."
- Background on the Voyage: Pacific Voyagers/Te Mana O Te Moana
- Where the canoes are today: Google Tracking Map
- News from the canoes: Voyage Blog