Hawaiʻiloa facts for kids
Hawaiʻiloa (also known as Hawaiʻi Loa or Ke Kowa i Hawaiʻi) is a famous Hawaiian fisherman and navigator from ancient legends. People say he was the first person to discover the big island of Hawaiʻi. The island was even named after him!
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The Legend of Hawaiʻiloa
Hawaiʻiloa was a very skilled fisherman and navigator. He was known for taking long trips far out into the ocean.
One day, during a long journey, his main navigator, Makaliʻi, told Hawaiʻiloa to steer their canoe towards the east. They looked for bright stars like Aldebaran (called Hokuʻula, meaning "red star") and the Pleiades star cluster.
Following these stars, Hawaiʻiloa and his crew found a new island! They named this beautiful island Hawaiʻi, in honor of Hawaiʻiloa himself.
Hawaiʻiloa then sailed back to his homeland. It was called Ka ʻāina kai melemele a Kāne ("the land of the yellow sea of Kāne"). He wanted to bring his family back to the new island.
He organized a big trip with his family and eight other skilled navigators. They all settled on what is now the Island of Hawaiʻi.
The legend also talks about Hawaiʻiloa's children. His oldest son was Māui. He also had a son named Kauaʻi and a daughter named Oʻahu. These children are said to have settled on the islands that now carry their names.
The Hawaiʻiloa Canoe
Hawaiʻiloa is also the name of a special voyaging canoe. It was built between 1991 and 1994. This canoe was named after the legendary navigator. It was made for long ocean trips and has sailed to many countries.
The canoe Hawaiʻiloa is now docked at Honolulu Harbor. It often sails on long journeys across the Pacific Ocean. On these trips, people study the amazing sailing techniques used in Ancient Hawaii.
How the Canoe Was Built
To build the Hawaiʻiloa canoe, two large Sitka spruce logs were brought to Hawaiʻi. They came from Southeast Alaska. These logs were a gift from the SeAlaska Corporation. This company is owned by the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes.
The trees were about 400 years old and 200 feet tall! Trees this big could not be found in modern Hawaiʻi. The main parts of the canoe were designed by Rudy and Barry Choy and Dick Rhodes. Other woods from local Hawaiian sources were also used.
The canoe was built without any metal parts. Instead, it used about three miles of strong rope for lashing everything together!
The Hawaiʻiloa canoe is about 57 feet (17 meters) long. It is 19 feet (5.8 meters) wide. It has two sails, each measuring between 240 and 420 square feet (22–39 square meters). The canoe was first launched in July 1993. It was then improved in a dry dock and launched again a year later.
Voyages in 1995
In 1995, Hawaiʻiloa went on its first big voyage. It sailed to Tahiti, Raʻiatea, and Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. It sailed with another famous Hawaiian canoe called Hōkūleʻa. A third Hawaiian canoe, Makaliʻi, also joined them.
Two canoes from Rarotonga, named Te ʻAu Tonga and Takitumu, also sailed with them. And a canoe from New Zealand, Te ʻAurere, was part of the group too.
Later that year, Hawaiʻiloa was shipped to Seattle. From there, it sailed north to Alaska. On this coastal journey between Vancouver and Juneau, it visited twenty native villages.
See also
In Spanish: Hawaiiloa para niños
