The traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hokule'a, was built to prove a point: that Polynesian voyagers sailing traditional canoes and using traditional navigation techniques could deliberately journey thousands of miles, against prevailing winds. Forty years ago, it was an idea that many - Hawaiian and otherwise - openly doubted. Today, scientists strive to understand how, not if, Polynesian navigation techniques work, and Hokule'a is on an around-the-world voyage with a message of cultural revitalization and environmental stewardship.
From Woods Hole, Hokule'a will sail to New Bedford, then through Cape Cod Canal to Boston, and on to New Hampshire and Maine. Full itinerary here.