According to Wikipedia:
HÅ?kÅ«le’a is a full-scale replica of a wooden sailing vessel (Polynesian voyaging canoe) used in ancient Hawaii. Its name means “star of gladness” in Hawaiian, and the name refers to the star Arcturus, a guiding zenith star for Hawaiian navigators, which falls directly overhead at HawaiÊ»i’s latitude.
It was built in 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and is best known for its 1976 voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti, performed without modern navigational instruments. Since then HÅ?kÅ«le’a has completed seven voyages to various destinations in Polynesia and the United States, all using ancient wayfinding techniques of celestial navigation.
Most surfers are aware of it because in it’s second voyage in 1978, Eddie Aikau was lost at sea. Our (TomorrowLeaders) interest is because of our link to the Asia Pacific Leadership Programme in Hawaii for the past 5 years. Nainoa Thompson, a Hawaiian Navigator who has led most of the voyages, is a guest lecturer in the APLP programme.
This year it sets sail once again to Micronesia and Japan and two of the students from the APLP will be on board for different parts of the voyage.
The Hokule’a is a great story to read up on. Below I’ve listed some links around the current voyage. From there the options are endless for your own voyage of discovery.
Nuf Sed
- The Honolulu Advertiser (stories around the current voyage)
- 2007 Voyages to Micronesia and Japan (a dedicated web site)
- Photo Gallery
- Latest position of the Hokule’a
- Polynesian Voyaging Society