Hokulea

Hokulea, meaning Star of Gladness in Hawaiian, is a double-hulled voyaging canoe built by the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii during the mid-1970s. It was constructed to demonstrate that ancient Polynesians could sail long distances using traditional navigation methods, rather than instruments, and to revive interest in Polynesian seafaring.

The canoe uses a traditional crab-claw sail and a design based on indigenous Polynesian watercraft. It is operated by a crew that includes navigators trained in traditional wayfinding, combining observations of the stars, ocean swells, wind, and birds with other natural indicators. Hokulea has served as a platform for education and cultural preservation, linking communities to the oceans and to ancestral knowledge.

In 1976, Hokulea completed a landmark voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti, guided by Mau Piailug of Satawal, who taught the crew the methods of non-instrument navigation. The voyage validated the possibility of voyaging long distances across the Pacific using traditional techniques, and it helped spur a revival of Polynesian navigation. Nainoa Thompson, who later became a central leader of the voyage program, was among the crew and later became a master navigator.

Following the initial voyage, Hokulea undertook numerous long-distance journeys across the Pacific and beyond, often paired with the support vessel Hikianalia. From 2014 to 2017, Hokulea participated in the Malama Honua worldwide voyage, a circumnavigation intended to promote environmental stewardship and cultural preservation, visiting dozens of ports in many countries before returning to Hawaii.

Today Hokulea remains active with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, used for education, outreach, and continued exploration of traditional navigation. It stands as a symbol of indigenous knowledge, ocean stewardship, and the enduring legacy of Polynesian voyaging.