MOUNT DESERT, ME—Traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a will be stopping in Mount Desert Island as part of her leg through New England. The sail is part of a historic worldwide voyage covering more than 60,000 nautical miles, 100 ports, and 27 nations.

Hōkūleʻa is a double-hull sailing vessel that voyages without the use of modern instruments, using stars, winds, and waves to navigate from destination to destination. During this current leg, the crew is honoring Native American tribes in the region and teaching and learning about traditions and practices of protecting cultural and environmental resources. Weather permitting, the crew conducts community and educational outreach programs, including canoe tours for the public during each stop.  

Hōkūleʻa is sailing the Earth’s oceans to visit and learn from those working to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Her crew spreads the Mālama Honua (care for Island Earth) message as it grows the global movement for a more sustainable world. The stories exchanged among crew members and communities they visit add to the collective wisdom shaping global lessons.   

Following is the tentative schedule for MDI. Since the schedule is subject to change, the public is encouraged to visit hokulea.com for the latest information. 

Saturday, July 23

• 9 a.m.: Wabanaki and the MDI community will gather for a public Arrival Ceremony to welcome Hōkūleʻa at JW Boat Company (Hall Quarry Road, Mount Desert) 
• noon to 4 p.m.: Public engagement and canoe tours to follow ceremony and exchange

Sunday, July 24

• 6 p.m.: Crew presentation at JW Boat Company, open to the public

Tuesday, July 26

• 10 a.m. - 3:15 p.m.: Youth Groups visit canoe (by appointment)
• 4 to 5 p.m.: Crew presentation in communty Gallery at Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, open to the public

Youth groups are invited to visit Hōkūleʻa on Tuesday, July 26th. Group size is limited to 50 youth and reservations are required for time blocks throughout the day. Interested groups should contact Debra Deal at Camp Beechcliff to inquire about reservations: (207) 244-0365, debra@campbeechcliff.org.

For Hōkūleʻa's most up-to-date US east coast schedule, visit hokulea.com/hokuleas-planned-east-coast-port-stops/.

To follow the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, visit hokulea.com/track-the-voyage.

About Hōkūleʻa

A symbol of cultural revival, the history of Hōkūleʻa is also being shared on this journey to inspire other indigenous cultures. This replica of an ancient Polynesian voyaging canoe was built 40 years ago and revitalized voyaging and navigation traditions throughout the Pacific. The canoe’s twin hulls allow her to handle large ocean swells and recover easily in the troughs of waves, and her triangular canvas sails can harness winds up to 20 knots. Hōkūleʻa first set out on the Pacific Ocean in 1975. Through the revival of the traditional art and science of wayfinding–navigating the sea guided by nature using the ocean swells, stars, and wind–Hōkūleʻa sparked a Hawaiian cultural renaissance and has reawakened the world’s sense of pride and strength as voyagers charting a course for the earth.