Hōkūle‘a

Hōkūle‘a was completed and launched by the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) in 1975. The voyaging canoe was built in order to challenge the notion that Polynesians had discovered and settled the Pacific islands by accident. By building a replica of an ancient voyaging canoe and navigating it from Hawai'i to Tahiti and back without modern instruments, PVS showed it was possible for ancient Polynesians to sail and explore the Pacific Ocean and settle its islands purposefully, finding new homelands scattered over an oceanic area of ten million square miles.

Herb Kawainui Kane, a co-founder of PVS, came up with the conceptual design for the canoe with Kenneth Emory. The canoe is maintained by hundreds of volunteers, with drydocking before each long voyage.

Hōkūle‘a has two 62-foot hulls, eight `iako or crossbeams joining the two hulls, pola or decking lashed to the crossbeams between the two hulls, rails along the decking, and two masts.

Click here for more information on the the building of the Hōkūle‘a.

PHOTO CREDIT: Monte Costa