Hōkūleʻa is back in the Hawaiian Islands.
The double-hulled canoe arrived safely in Honolulu on Wednesday evening aboard a Matson ship named Mahimahi.
Over the last six months, Hōkūleʻa traveled more than 2,800 miles and visited 45 communities from Juneau, Alaska, to Long Beach, California, as part of the Moananuiākea Voyage.
Following the Maui wildfires, the Polynesian Voyaging Society decided to pause the voyage and bring Hōkūleʻa home.
PVS CEO and Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson said now that Hōkūleʻa is home, the focus will be on training the next generation of navigators and crew members.
"We’re having young people design the sail plan to Maui and do all the kuleana that needs to be done without the oversight of the older generations. This canoe is now getting handed to children that weren't born when she was launched," he said.
"It's a wonderful opportunity for us to ensure the future of Hōkūleʻa by making sure that our students and our young ones are better than us," Thompson said.
Hōkūleʻa was unloaded into the water at Honolulu Harbor on Thursday morning.
Hōkūleʻa will be towed to its home base at the Marine Education Training Center at Sand Island. The public will have an opportunity to welcome home Hawaiʻi’s canoe at a ceremony at the center at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7.
Take a look at HPR's past coverage of Hōkūleʻa:
