‘Hikianalia’ Returns After Four-Month California Voyage

December 14, 2018, 8:39 AM HST

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Polynesian voyaging canoe Hikianalia and her crew returned to Sand Island on O‘ahu the night of Dec. 12, 2018, at approximately 10 p.m.

Hundreds of family members of the crew and voyage supporters awaited its arrival at the dock of the Marine Education and Training Center to welcome the canoe returned after the 19-day sail across the Pacific from San Diego.

The sail across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Honolulu completes the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage, which launched in August for crew to share the culture and history of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the important values of caring for our earth with communities along the coast of California.

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In addition to co-captains Kaniela Lyman-Mersereau and Jason Patterson, the crew is being lead by navigator Haunani Kane. Click here to explore the entire leg four crew roster.

Hikianalia departed Honolulu on Aug. 18, 2018, and made landfall at Half Moon Bay, California, on Sept. 10, 2018.

While in California, the canoe made stops in San Francisco, Sausalito, Monterey, Ventura County, Redondo Beach, Catalina Island and Orange County before making a final stop in San Diego. While in San Francisco, the voyagers shared a message about the importance of ocean stewardship at the Global Climate Action Summit and other events focused on environmental and cultural preservation. Each port stop began with an arrival ceremony hosted by the indigenous and local communities of the area. The crew engaged with thousands of people by holding public presentations, school visits and dockside canoe tours to share the history and legacy of Polynesian voyaging and the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.

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About Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage

The Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage is a continuation of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Mālama Honua campaign to inspire action toward an environmentally and culturally thriving world. The name of the voyage, Alahula Kai o Maleka, honors the “frequented pathway,” alahula, across the ocean between Hawaiʻi and California, kai o Maleka. Kai o Maleka, literally means “sea of America,” a traditional reference to the Pacific waterway connecting the Hawaiian Islands and the West Coast. Additional purposes of the voyage are to celebrate the Polynesian communities of California; connect, learn and share the Mālama Honua message with schools and communities; continue developing the next generation of voyaging captains, navigators and crewmembers; and to share the story of Hikianalia, a canoe that blends ancient wisdom and modern solutions to address the environmental and cultural issues of today. The major sponsors of the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage are Hawaiian Airlines, OluKai, Ama Olukai Foundation, Kamehameha Schools and Hawaii Tourism Authority.