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courtesy polynesian voyaging society
The crew of the Hokule‘a bade farewell to South Africa on Thursday and headed to Brazil on the vessel’s Malama Honua (care for the earth) worldwide voyage.
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Half a world away from its home port in Honolulu, the voyaging canoe Hokule‘a left South Africa on Christmas Eve, setting sail for a first-ever traverse of the Atlantic Ocean as it heads to Brazil.
Crews from the Hokule‘a and its escort vessel, Gershon II, arrived in South Africa in October and have spent the past two months visiting different ports and educating communities about the vessel’s history and its mission to promote sustainability, environmental consciousness and international dialogue.
The current journey to Brazil will be the longest leg — 4,200 nautical miles — on Hokule‘a’s historic Malama Honua worldwide voyage.
The current sail plan involves stops at St. Helena and the island of Ascension in January. Both islands are British Overseas Territories in the southern Atlantic Ocean.
From there, Hokule‘a will continue across the Atlantic Ocean and is expected to stop at Ilha Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, an archipelago and UNESCO Marine World Heritage site, where the crew will engage in cultural and educational exchanges. They will officially make landfall in South America at the coastal city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, in northeastern Brazil, in late January.
From Brazil, Hokule‘a will stop at ports in the Caribbean before sailing to the U.S. East Coast. It is expected to reach New York City by June 8 for World Oceans Day.
Since leaving Hawaiian waters in May 2013, Hokule‘a has voyaged about 45,000 miles and made stops in 11 countries and 46 ports in an effort to weave a “Lei of Hope” around the world. More than 160 volunteer crew members have participated in the journey.