Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 9, 1 Kepakemapa 2004 — Pūnana Leo canoe [ARTICLE]

Pūnana Leo canoe

In August, 'Aha Pūnana Leo launched the newest member in the venerated family of Hawaiian long-distance voyaging canoes. Hōkūaiaka'i (guiding star) is a 58-foot double-hulled eanoe that will be used as a classroom for students of 'Aha Pūnana Leo's Hawaiian-language immersion schools. The eanoe has equipment that will allow students to access the Internet and email on board, and was also designed to be easy enough for a group of young adults to sail. "Hōkūalaka 'i is a floating honua, or eulture environment, where our language will

thrive," said master navigator Chad Kālepa Baybayan. "It is grounded in the mauli, that cultural foundation whieh is a feature of ['Aha Pūnana Leo] programs." Baybayan said that the eanoe is a unique addition to the voyaging family in that it's the first to be made out of composite materials, including foam and fiberglass, whieh were chosen for easy maintenance and increased safety. Hōkūaiaka'i is also the first in the family to be made from a mold, whieh will enahle others to make future eanoe hulls easier and faster. Construction for the mold began in 2001, with some of the most respected Hawaiian eanoe builders and voyagers contributing to its design, including, among others, Herb Kāne and Ben Finney, both original founders of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, traditional koa eanoe builder Wally Froiseth and master navigator Nainoa Thompson.