HILO, Hawaii – The community plans to celebrate the departure of Hōkūleʻa and Hikianala on their worldwide Malama Honua voyage on Saturday, but the actual departure for Tahiti is now set for Tuesday.

From the Polynesian Voyaging Society:

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianala are in Hilo, their last stop in Hawai‘i before their voyage around the world! On Saturday, 5/24, private cultural ceremonies will take place early in the morning to help prepare and protect our crew members and our waʻa. From 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the local community has spearheaded a public opportunity to share mākana and visit the waʻa. Mahalo nui loa for the hospitality and the aloha in Palekai/Radio Bay.

After the noon hour on Saturday, 5/24, the crew and waʻa will go into a kapu period of rest, reflection, and emotional and spiritual preparation for the journey ahead. Our captains, working together with the national weather service, have noted that the appropriate winds for our journey will likely not appear until Tuesday 5/27. As Nainoa Thompson remarked, “Mau taught me patience, letting me know that we do not tell the wind what to do–the wind tells us what to do.” We look forward to the right conditions for departure on or after Tuesday 5/27, and to celebrating with the Hilo community this Saturday.

Mahalo Nui Loa!Polynesian Voyaging Society

You can track the worldwide voyage on the official website: hokulea.com