Hokulea bids farewell to Juneau, officially embarking on 4-year Pacific voyage

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hokulea kicked off its four-year Pacific journey in Juneau on Sunday.

The Moananuiakea Voyage launched early Sunday morning, three days later than scheduled because of bad weather. The journey marks Hokulea’s longest and the most dangerous in its history.

SPECIAL SECTION: Hokulea Pacific Voyage

Before departing, a launch ceremony was held to celebrate the coming together of Pacific cultures and to honor the late voyagers and navigators, including Mau Piailug of Satawal, who made voyages like this possible.

Hokulea crewmembers had been in Juneau for over a month and they say they’ll cherish the time that they spent with their Native Alaskan brothers and sisters.

”We are so thankful for your hospitality, your warmness, your kindness, and most importantly, your sharing of stories and values,” Hokulea navigator Lucy Lee said.

“We were excited to celebrate with you and we can’t wait to see you again.”

The Hokulea had arrived to its first stop in Angoon with plans to depart either Tuesday or Wednesday.

After Angoon, the crew will make six more stops in Alaska before heading to British Columbia in mid-July.

During its four-year voyage, the Hokulea will sail up to 47,000 miles around the Pacific.

“We are eager to see what awaits us,” Lee said.

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