Communications from Sea

Many have asked if the crew aboard Hōkūle‘a is completely cut off from “civilization” while they are at sea.  The answer is not really.

While it’s true that aboard Hōkūle’a cell phones, watches and any other modern devices that may give clues to location are put away, the crew is never totally incommunicado.

To ensure their safety, communications lines are kept open between the crews of the Hōkūle‘a and the escort boat.  Through daily check ups, the escort crew carefully monitors Hōkūle’a’s proceedings and wellbeing. Additionally, aboard Hōkūle‘a they are able to contact other vessels that may be nearby. For example, on their recent voyage to Palmyra Atoll, the canoe was totally dwarfed as a huge tanker bore down upon them. The crew quickly radioed to the huge vessel so that it could steer clear of any mishap.

The Hōkūle‘a captain is also in regular contact with the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s home base in Honolulu.  They discuss the health and welfare of the crew, weather and other conditions that may affect the voyage. While they may discuss where the Hōkūle‘a crew thinks they are, those in Honolulu never share any actual location data. It is up to the crew to find their way in the traditional manner of our ancestors.

Before the Palmyra voyage, crew member Eli Witt shared some of the technology Hōkūle‘a crew use to communicate.