By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Nainoa Thompson leads a crew of Hawaii's most experienced
navigators on its most difficult adventure to date.

Men of magic
find the way

The chemistry of the people
on board was a major consideration
in choosing crew members for
the exhausting voyage

By Susan Kreifels
Star-Bulletin

They were the "rock stars" of the ancient Polynesians.

The star navigators who discovered distant shores guided only by celestial paths and their own wits and courage, were superhuman to the Pacific island people, men of magic.

They still are today.

Hawaii's top four navigators will lead the Hokule'a on its most difficult voyage: against prevailing winds, they will sail 1,450 miles from Mangareva to Rapa Nui, the most isolated inhabited island in the world, and a tiny one.

The task is so difficult, they set sail knowing they could miss it.

Nainoa Thompson, the Hokule'a captain, will co-navigate with Bruce Blankenfeld, Chad Baybayan and Shorty Bertelmann.

By Cliff Wassmann, special to the Star-Bulletin
A fallen moai at Rano Raraku, Rapa Nui's main ancient quarry.

The crew includes some of Hawaii's most experienced traditional sailors: Mel Paoa Jr., Abraham "Snake" Ah Hee, Archie Kalepa, Ben Tamura, Mike Tonng and Max Yarawamai. Sonny Ahuna will shoot video.

To build a good team for the exhausting sail, Thompson, 45, looked for "chemistry and personality."

Paoa, a paramedic on Molokai, believes they have the chemistry. He considers these navigators "unreal guys, like heroes. I know we will find it. I trust my life to their hands."

Paoa and Baybayan have been with the Hokule'a since the 1970s. Both will take several months of unpaid leave for the voyage, as they have done many times before. It's virtually a requirement for the volunteers on the Hokule'a, who put in a half-million hours of work to prepare for the Rapa Nui voyage.

Baybayan, 42, works three part-time jobs on the Big Island. He said most employers are good about giving time off. Having Hokule'a voyagers on their staff is a badge of honor and prestige.

Paoa and Baybayan, both fathers, also praised their working wives for their total support, financially and emotionally.

The two want to stay involved with the Hokule'a after the Rapa Nui voyage. After 25 years, they still continue to learn from the canoe.

And Baybayan said if they miss Rapa Nui on this tough voyage, "whole new lessons will be learned."

HOKULE'A'S SOUTH PACIFIC VOYAGES Hokule'a has completed five Polynesian voyages since it set sail in 1976: 1995: With Hawai'iloa and Makali'i, Hokule'a sails to Marquesas Islands and back via Tahiti and Ra'iatea. Significance of voyage: Early Hawaii settlers are believed to have come from Marquesas because of the similiarities between the two languages. 1992: Participates in the Sixth Pacific Arts Festival, celebrating the revival of traditional canoe building and navigation. Significance: "The Voyage of Education" allows students to follow the canoe via live, daily radio reports. 1985: The 16,000-mile voyage follows ancient migratory routes. Significance: Proves Polynesian canoes could sail from west to east when prevailing easterly tradewinds were replaced by seasonal westerlies. 1980: Nainoa Thompson guides Hokule'a on this traditional trade route. Significance: Thompson became the first Hawaiian navigator in more than 500 years to sail a canoe without instruments. 1976: With a Hawaiian crew, Satawalese master navigator Mau Piailug guides Hokule'a on this 2,400-mile trip. Significance: Piailug was called upon because no Hawaiian knew the ancient art of navigating without instruments.

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HOKULE'A WEB CAMERA

The Hokule'a has a Web camera on board.
Access images during the voyage at:
Web camera to access images during the voyage http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/pvs