POLYNESIAN VOYAGING SOCIETY

THE MOANANUIAKEA VOYAGE MADE ITS GLOBAL LAUNCH FROM JUNEAU, ALASKA IN JUNE 2023. THE FOUR-YEAR EXPEDITION WILL COVER AN ESTIMATED 43,000 NAUTICAL MILES AROUND THE PACIFIC, VISITING 36 COUNTRIES AND ARCHIPELAGOES, NEARLY 100 INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES AND MORE THAN 300 PORTS. MOANANUIAKEA REFERS TO THE VAST WATERS OF THE EARTH'S LARGEST OCEAN. THE GOAL OF THE VOYAGE IS TO IGNITE A MOVEMENT OF 10 MILLION "PLANETARY NAVIGATORS' BY DEVELOPING YOUNG LEADERS AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKE PART IN NAVIGATING EARTH TOWARDS A HEALTHY, THRIVING FUTURE. THE VOYAGE ITSELF IS A GLOBAL EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN THAT WILL AMPLIFY THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF OCEANS AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH PORT ENGAGEMENTS, EDUCATION AND STORYTELLING SHARED VIA A VIRTUAL "THIRD CANOE" CALLED WA'A HONUA, WHICH TRANSLATES TO "A CANOE FOR THE EARTH" (WWW.WAAHONUA.COM). PVS AND ITS EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS ARE CREATING STORIES, AND LESSONS FOR ALL AGES WITH THE GOAL OF INSPIRING PEOPLE TO CARE FOR AND MAKE BETTER CHOICES FOR THE EARTH. "WE BEGIN WITH A 31-YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATIVE PEOPLE OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA. TO PAY HOMAGE TO PVS' ALASKA FAMILY, HOKULE'A IS ON A PRE-VOYAGE ALASKA HERITAGE SAIL. THE FIRST STOP WAS YAKUTAT, HOME OF THE LATE BYRON MALLOTT, WHOSE LEADERSHIP IN THE EARLY 90'S ENABLED THE DONATION OF TWO 200-FOOT SITKA SPRUCE LOGS TO HAWAI'I FOR THE HULLS OF THE VOYAGING CANOE HAWAI'ILOA. ON JUNE 10, HOKULE'A IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO JUNEAU AND WILL BE GREETED WITH A TRADITIONAL TRIBAL WELCOME CEREMONY AT AUKE BAY, THE TRADITIONAL LANDS OF THE A'AKW KWAN.PVS WILL HOLD THE GLOBAL LAUNCH OF MOANANUIAKEA VOYAGE WHICH IS THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE PACIFIC THE REGION SALE PLAN FOR MOANANUIAKEA IS:JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2023 - ALASKA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, SEATTLE- SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER 2023 - WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES- JANUARY TO FEBRUARY 2024 - MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA- MARCH - DECEMBER 2024 - EXPLORING THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, OUR COUNTRY,POLYNESIA- DECEMBER 2024 TO MAY 2025 - AOTEAROA- MAY TO MARCH 2026 - MELANESIA, MICRONESIA AND PALAU- MARCH TO SEPTEMBER 2026 - WEST PACIFIC, ENDING IN JAPAN- SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 2026 - SHIPPING FROM JAPAN TO LOS ANGELES THEN SAILING HOME TO HAWAI'I- SPRING 2027 - TAHITIIN THE WAKE OF THE DEVASTATING FIRES ON MAUI IN AUGUST 2023, HOKULE'A RETURNED HOME FROM SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA IN LATE DECEMBER 2023 TO SUPPORT THE LAHAINA COMMUNITY. THE EARTH'S UNPRECEDENTED WEATHER PATTERNS INCLUDING THE CURRENT EL NINO PHENOMENON (A PERIOD OF UNUSUALLY WARM WATER IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN WHICH HAS GLOBAL IMPACT) WAS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO LEADERSHIP'S DECISION TO RETURN TO HAWAI'I BEFORE CONTINUING ON THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE PACIFIC.