After a 2,800-mile voyage from Hawaii to California using traditional non-instrument navigation, solar and wind-powered Polynesian voyaging canoe Hikianalia and her crew sailed into Ventura County Coast on Oct. 6, and made stops in Ventura Harbor(Oct. 6-10), Channel Islands Harbor (Oct. 10-14) and the Channel Islands National Park – Santa Cruz Island (Oct. 14-16).
During the stops in Ventura County, the crew will host a crew presentation and dockside canoe tours, which will give the public an opportunity to learn about traditional Polynesian voyaging and the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage.
After the one-week stop in Ventura County Coast, Hikianalia is scheduled to depart for Santa Cruz Island,
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..
Because the West Coast of the United States was not part of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, the Polynesian Voyaging Society and crew are looking forward to engaging with the California communities. While Hikanalia is sailing to California, Hōkūleʻa will remain in the Hawaiian Islands to complete the Mahalo, Hawaiʻi Sail.
Hikianalia, the wind- and solar-powered canoe built by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea is the sister vessel of the famed Hōkūleʻa. Hikianalia is the Hawaiian name for the star Spica, which rises together with Hōkūleʻa (Arcturus) in Hawaiʻi. sunlight to electric propulsive energy. With a zero carbon footprint, her design supports the “Mālama Honua” (care for Island Earth) mission.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded in 1973 on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, seeking to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, one another, and their natural and cultural environments. For more information about the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Worldwide Voyage, visit www.hokulea.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
