ARTICLE / VIDEO. Polynesian voyaging canoe Hikianalia has made landfall in Northern California. After sailing approximately 2,800-miles over 23 days, the 13-person crew arrived in the Half Moon Bay.
The Polynesian Voyaging Society is a non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of Polynesian culture, and specifically the traditional boat-building and navigation techniques (wayfinding) of the ancient Polynesians who populated the Pacific islands. Their traditional canoe*, Hokule’a, has traveled the Pacific Ocean and demonstrated wayfinding since the mid 1970’s. In 2012 they built another canoe**, Hikianalia, to further their mission. This canoe left Hawaii on August 18, bound for California to attend the Global Climate Action Summit and to cruise the California coast “to inspire action toward an environmentally and culturally thriving world” before sailing back to Hawaii in December. So, you may ask, what does this have to do with HMBYC? Well, the canoe will be visiting Pillar Point harbor, not once but twice, during her stay in California…and HMBYC will be the host when she is in our harbor!
Their first visit will take place this coming week. The current best prediction is that they will make landfall on Monday, but of course this depends on the wind. This visit will last about 3 days, after which they will head north to SF Bay for the first of their scheduled events. Then, later in the month (exact dates still being worked out) they will return for a few days. Whereas the second visit will entail public events and tours of the canoe, their first visit will just be for them to decompress and get their land legs back after a month at sea. The crew will be hanging out at the club and sleeping in the Event Center. So if you are at the club this week and notice a large, strange looking sailboat anchored off our docks, or notice some very tanned, Polynesian-looking folks wandering about the club, you will know what’s up. Go up to them, say “hello”—actually “aloha”—and enjoy meeting some truly extraordinary people.
There also will be events for the general public at some point, more details to follow.
Hikianalia Travel Blog
Tune in to their blog. Great story. Stay up on the local Hikianalia events coming up in the San Francisco Bay area.
The Hikianalia Crew sets off on the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club’s Floating Ferry
6:40 am sunrise putting the Outrigger together to escort the Hikianalia out of the Half Moon Bay Pillar Point Princeton Harbor.
Thanks Cassandra Clark for the last 3 photos from the Outrigger. Stunning morning light.
Jeff Clark hitches a ride the San Francisco’s Climate Summit. The boat will be towed to the SF Bay. And sail across the Bay if there is wind.
