DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Students practiced swimming around the Hokule'a yesterday. Eventually, they are supposed to swim a distance of more than a mile to get them accustomed to being in the water.
When Russell Amimoto was 15 years old, master navigator Nainoa Thompson gave him a chance to steer the voyaging canoe Hokule'a to Hawaii Kai from Aloha Tower.
Hawaii’s premier sailing vessel
is ready to voyage once again
By Rosemarie Bernardo
CLARIFICATION
Monday, March 17, 2003» The Hokule'a voyaging canoe will travel to Mokumanama (Necker Island) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from Hilo during its current three-month voyage around the state. The canoe will explore other areas in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands during a second voyage from August to October. A story on Page A1 on Friday was not clear on this.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.
rbernardo@starbulletin.com"I kind of freaked out," said Amimoto.
Amimoto, now 25, will be captain on the first leg of the canoe's next voyage from Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai to Hilo.
This is Hokule'a's first major sail since being retrofitted in dry dock for more than a year.
"I'm a little bit nervous," Amimoto said. "I'm confident we can get there safely."
Amimoto and other crew members manned the 62-foot double-hulled canoe yesterday from Sand Island to Waikiki as Thompson observed the next generation of prospective navigators from an escort boat.
"They're excited about the challenge," Thompson said. "I see myself in them."
"We're stepping up to the plate," said crew member Kaiulani Murphy.
Murphy said she was not sure what she wanted to pursue as a career, but had an interest in becoming a teacher while she was studying at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. She said working on the Hokule'a has helped "steer me in the right direction."
"I think this is the best classroom I will ever get to teach on," Murphy said.
"For me it's a huge learning process. There is so much that Nainoa and the other mentors had shared with us. We're trying to suck it all in," she said.
The Hokule'a is set to sail for Hilo at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Crew members from the Polynesian Voyaging Society took the Hokule'a on a training cruise yesterday in preparation for their voyage, starting tomorrow to the Big Island.
During the voyage, the canoe will be making about 20 stops among the main Hawaiian islands as part of an educational program called Navigating Change.
Polynesian Voyaging Society officials said the focus of the program is to raise awareness of ecological problems and to take better care of our ocean resources.
The Hokule'a will also sail from Hilo to Mokumanamana (Necker Island) in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands from August to October to examine its ecosystem.
During the short sail yesterday, crew members from the Polynesian Voyaging Society taught students who are part of the Ocean Learning Academy how to open and close a sail, how to steer the canoe and how to tow and dock the Hokule'a.
Society officials said the Hokule'a last sailed around the state three years ago following its Rapa Nui voyage. The voyaging canoe has sailed 90,000 miles since it was built in 1975, Thompson said.
For the past 13 months, crew members and volunteers have spent countless hours making repairs and restorations to the canoe: Dry rot was removed, and the hulls, storage compartments, deck, rails, mast, spars and steering paddles were refinished. The entire canoe was also repainted and about seven miles of rope was used to replace the lashing that holds the canoe together. Repair and restoration costs totaled an estimated $100,000 and were paid for by grants and donations.
"It's a major undertaking," said society Executive Director Pat Duarte. "Hopefully, we'll have it going for another 25 years."
"The condition of the canoe has never been better," Thompson said.
He added that he is confident of the crew's preparedness for the sail.
"We're in such good shape," he said. "They're really doing awesome."
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kawai Hoe explains to students the procedure for unfurling the sails aboard the Hokule'a, which will depart Saturday for the Big Island from Oahu.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society
