Hawaii canoe makes it halfway around the world

A Polynesian voyaging canoe like the ones used to first explore Hawaii has reached the halfway point of a three-year, round-the-world trip.

Hōkūleʻa on a round the world voyage. Image by US Embassy / CC BY-SA 2.0

The canoe left Hawaii last year, and its crew has reached the southern tip of Africa using just the waves and stars to guide their path – just like early Polynesians explored the Pacific centuries ago. When the journey is complete in 2017, the crew will have sailed nearly 60,000 nautical miles and visited 27 countries. While anchored in Cape Town, the crew will teach the community about traditional navigation techniques and Native Hawaiian culture. The crew will spend two weeks in South Africa before departing for South America.

The canoe, named Hōkūleʻa, was built in the 1970s as a way to revive Polynesian navigating, and after its first voyage to Tahiti it became an important symbol in a renaissance of Native Hawaiian culture. Read more: nytimes.com