Hōkūleʻa and her crew departed Ventura, California, Tuesday on their way to Marina del Rey.
While every crew member played a crucial role in the success of the sail, none may be more appreciated than the canoe’s chef.
Activity in the kitchen aboard Hōkūleʻa happens before the sun rises, said Mark Noguchi, better known as 'Gooch.'
"I try to get up by like 5 a.m. Get some coffee going, coffee is key. We actually have a custom blend for Hōkūleʻa. It’s mostly Kona with a little bit of Colombian, cause Colombian has higher caffeine content," he said.
The kitchen is situated between the second sail and the hoe uli, or steering blade. He’s got two big boxes that provide storage, counter space, and room for a standard two-burner gas stove.
Like any chef, Noguchi packed his kitchen must-haves: white miso, knives, ramen noodles, and a special titanium ceramic pepper mill.
"Miso. I gotta have miso," he said.
"Food is our love language. Food is what brings us together and so oftentimes communities will come out. They’ll bring meaʻai. And so my job on the waʻa is to fill in the blanks."
Noguchi was told by one of his mentors, veteran waʻa chef Maulili Dixon, that his kuleana on board goes beyond just cooking.
"He said 'Gooch, you need to be the cheerleader, the morale booster, the psychiatrist.' I love it personally! I like to talk to my teammates and ask them what their favorite food is and try to anticipate the things that they might need," he said.
"Food is about being of service, it really is."
Noguchi said cooking on the waʻa is not that different from cooking on land.
"But, you are definitely a lot more hyper-aware of your resources. A good one is water. You know what I mean? You think you’re makaʻala about how much water you use on land? Try get on a waʻa and that awareness increases exponentially," he laughed.
Making use of what’s on board is key. On Tuesday, Noguchi even caught some fresh fish.
"We had some fresh ahi, so I cooked it off. I just had some fresh ahi salad sandwiches. It's pretty light. We have protocol in about an hour, an hour and a half. So I want to make sure we’re all well-nourished and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Marina del Ray, here we come!"
Hōkūleʻa and her crew will be docked at Marina del Rey until Oct. 30.
Take a look at HPR's past coverage of Hōkūleʻa:
