Jan. 13, 2016

Contributed by Communication Group Staff

After traveling approximately 1,900 miles on the longest leg of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a arrived at the island of St. Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Friday January 9, 2016.

Hōkūle‘a’s crew, captained by Master Navigator Bruce Blankenfeld and navigated by Apprentice Navigator Kaleo Wong, has been sailing for 16 days since they departed Cape Town, South Africa on December 24, 2015.

This leg also marks the first time Hōkūle‘a has sailed the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in her 40-year history, which required crewmembers to become familiar with Atlantic currents and prevailing winds. More than 1,200 of the 1,900 miles traveled to the remote island of St. Helena were on open ocean using only traditional wayfinding and no modern instruments.

St. Helena is an island of volcanic origin. The territory consists of the island of Saint Helena, and the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. The island has a 500-year history since it was discovered by Portuguese navigator Joao da Nova, on his voyage home from India.

He named it “Saint Helena,” after the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. St. Helena is Britain’s second oldest colony and one of the most isolated islands in the world. For several centuries the island was of vital strategic importance to ships sailing to Europe from the Far East, to take on essential stores and leave sick crew members to recover in its healthy climate.

In the 19th Century it played a huge and largely unrecognized role as a vital refuge for liberated African slaves. Since 1815, the British have also used the island as a place of exile, most notably for Napoleon Bonaparte, Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo and more than 6,000 Boer prisoners.

After a few days of reprovisioning and preparation, Hōkūle‘a will depart St. Helena and continue her journey to Brazil. Upon departure, the crew will sight the island of Ascension, which is also part of the British Overseas Territory and was recently declared a marine protected area. 

The canoe’s next stop will be at Ilha Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, an archipelago and UNESCO Marine World Heritage site, where the crew will engage in cultural and educational exchange. 

Hōkūle‘a is expected to make landfall in South America at the coastal city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeastern Brazil, in late January. The crew will seek stories of hope about efforts to mālama the sacred natural resources and indigenous cultures of the Amazon Rainforest.

After stopping in Brazil, Hōkūle‘a will continue the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage and stop in several ports in the Caribbean before sailing up and visiting cities along the East Coast of the United States. She is scheduled to arrive in New York City by June 8, 2016, for World Oceans Day.

For a midway recap of the Worldwide Voyage, please view http://www.hokulea.com/2015-worldwide-voyage-recap/.

For more information about the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Worldwide Voyage, visit www.hokulea.com or find the society on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+. To see more Wa‘a Wednesday stories and much more about the Mālama Honua Voyage, go to the KS Online Mālama Honua page.

Hōkūle‘a Master Navigator Bruce Blankenfeld and Apprentice Navigator Kaleo Wong are all smiles as they near St. Helena.

Apprentice Navigator Kaleo Wong searches for St. Helena during the recent voyage.

The island of St. Helena is seen off the bow of Hōkūle‘a.