Have you every wondered what's it's like aboard Hōkūle‘a as she sails? Hereʻs a short video that gives a feeling of what we experience. Kaina Holomalia is manning the side sweep. For an explanation of how steering occurs on Hōkūle‘a, click here.
Palmyra Voyage Log - Date 3.12.09 11:00 AM
Current Weather (wind, rain, cloud systems, ocean conditions):
“This is sweet” says Dr. Craig. We had smooth sailing yesterday and today. Itʻs been a bit difficult to steer downwind because the swells are trying to swing the canoe. Luckily, we have AWESOME watch captains who are helping us keep a straight course so we can let Bruce navigate.
There are low level thunder clouds surrounding us, making it harder to navigate at night time.
Aloha everyone,
I'm enjoying traveling at sailboat pace surrounded by the bottomless blue of the open ocean. Reminds me of my small place in the universe.
The trades are wafting us along, with a nice long swell providing surges. The wind is so steady we've had the spinnaker up for about 30 hours continuously. That may change. Around us today are rain squalls, but none on us so far. The nights have also been great with full moon initially and now some star filled night before it rises.
Mahalo iā kākou, thank you everyone, for your kind wishes and aloha. It means so much to us that you care not only about Hōkūle‘a, but her crew and her mission.
This voyage to Palmyra is a major step forward in which we begin passing the reins of leadership to the next generation while continuing our mission of perpetuating those things that make Hawai‘i special.
Palmyra Voyage Log – Date: 3.11.09 10:00am
Current Weather (wind, rain, cloud systems, ocean conditions):
Hōkūle‘a’s crew woke to clear blue skies with small patches of clouds. The wind is steady NE trade, a good direction for our course. There are medium sized open ocean swells with small cresting whitecaps.
Significant weather in past 24 hours (altered sail/rigging/repairs to canoe):
Crew member Keala Kai recorded this for his ku‘uipo before departing for Palmyra Atoll.
Aloha kākou,
Mahalo to everyone who came to bid us a bon voyage. We truly appreciate it.
Hōkūle‘a and Kama Hele enjoyed a beautiful night of sailing under mostly clear skies with good breezes and gently rolling swells. The nearly-full moon was beautiful, but obscured some of the available stars, yet there seemed to be plenty of stars and other clues for Bruce’s navigation – he is spot on. Of course, we cannot let Hōkūle‘a know this, but we wanted our virtual voyagers to know how great the skills of this crew are.
Hōkūle‘a has successfully navigated through hundreds of thousands of miles of oceans, the equivalent to six times around the Earth. Yet, her deep-sea training voyage to Palmyra Atoll promises to be one of her most challenging.
Why? Taking into account that Palmyra is a tiny spec of land that barely peaks out of the water (its highest point is a coconut tree) and that it is surrounded by submerged coral reefs, this voyage will not only be difficult, but dangerous.
