Here’s to our friend Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson and his audacious mission for which he just set sail. Thompson and his crew plan to steer the Hokule’a, a replication of the canoe that ancient Polynesians used to explore the Pacific and discover new resources to support their civilization, around the world and make connections with a global spectrum of people and cultures. Three years. 50,000 nautical miles. 25 countries. 12 marine World Heritage sites. And all of that without the aid of digital technology or even compasses.
A few years ago we documented how Thompson and the Polynesian Voyaging Society had rebuilt the Hokule’a and received the Dalai Lama’s blessing in Hawaii. We wish our friends good luck and smooth sailing!