Hōkūleʻa Sails to Tahiti
Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii, USA (departure point)
What happened
On 1 May 1976 the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūleʻa left Maui for Tahiti, guided by master navigator Mau Piailug of Satawal, Micronesia. He navigated using traditional wayfinding, reading the stars, winds, waves, clouds and the living ocean, with no instruments. After more than 30 days at sea the canoe reached Mataiva on 1 June and arrived in Tahiti on 4 June 1976.
Why it matters
It was the first time in about 600 years that a voyaging canoe had sailed that ancient route, and it disproved theories that Pacific islands were settled by accidental drift.
What came next
More than 17,000 people gathered in Papeete Harbor to welcome the canoe. Hōkūleʻa then sailed home to Hawaii, and the round trip took 52 days at sea.
Did you know?
The Polynesian Voyaging Society says this voyage marked the first of its kind on that route in about 600 years.
Timeline
- 1 May 1976Hōkūleʻa departs Honolua Bay, Maui.
- 1 June 1976Landfall at Mataiva.
- 4 June 1976Arrival in Papeete Harbor, Tahiti.
- 26 July 1976Hōkūleʻa arrives home at Magic Island, Oʻahu.