The Hōkūle’a’s 15th Deep Sea Voyage

Imagine a giant canoe, sailing across the vast Pacific ocean, guided only by the stars, sun and ocean waves. That’s the Hōkūle’a, a 62 ft double-hulled voyaging canoe that’s been circumnavigating the Pacific for over 50 years. 

The deep sea canoe was designed and built in the 1970s to revive the lost art of Polynesian voyaging and navigation. This revival has also sparked a renewed appreciation for Hawaiian language, dance, and other meaningful cultural practices. Each voyage fuels Hawaiian pride and strengthens the connection to their heritage.

Currently on its 15th epic voyage, the Hōkūle’a will sail 43,000 nautical miles across 36 countries and 100 indigenous territories over the course of 47-months. It’s not just a boat trip; it’s a cultural journey and an important educational tool that promotes Mālama ʻĀina – caring for the land.

Map of the Hōkūle’a’s journey. Source: Hokulea.com

At each port, the crew hosts engagement events, offering the community a chance to experience Hōkūle’a’s spirit of adventure and appreciation for indigenous culture and tradition. 

The crew is made up of 400 volunteer sailors who join different legs of the journey in smaller groups of 10-15. Last week, Ko Olina Ocean Adventures was delighted to welcome the Hōkūle’a as it pulled into Ko Olina Marina (watch this reel!) while Hōkūle’a was working with the Aulani getting ready for Disney’s latest launch of Moana 2. This was especially exciting because one of our very own captains, Tamiko, was waving to us from the bow! This is her second deep-sea voyage aboard the Hōkūle’a and we are so proud that she is participating in this incredible adventure. 

When Tamiko’s not on the Hōkūle’a, you can find her captaining the Holole’a Kai out of Ko Olina.

Join us in cheering on the Hokulea as it continues to make progress. You can track the voyage at hokulea.com/ and follow @hokuleleacrew on social media for updates.