Crew
William Keala Kai, known to most at Keala, is from Kapa‘a, Kaua‘i. For many years he was a professional lifeguard, but more recently he has turned to his artistic talents. He specializes in drawing Polynesian voyaging canoes. He is also helping to build Kauai’s own deep ocean canoe Nāmahoe.
“I’m interested in going to Palmyra for several reasons. My uncle first told me about it, calling it one of those islands “down under.” He worked on Palmyra after the war, cleaning up what was left behind by the military. He talked about all the coconut crabs coming on the runway after a rain. I’m really interested in seeing the beauty of Palmyra. This voyage will also help me become more comfortable as a sailor and help me become ready to launch Namahoe for her maiden voyage to Tahiti.”
“I really hope the worldwide voyage will bring more people closer to nature and have them understand how fragile it is. Too many people are disconnected from it today because they don’t spend time outdoors. They need to understand what’s happening to our natural resources. Voyaging is a wonderful way to not only think outside of the box, but to think beyond the horizon."