UPDATE, Dec. 11, 6:04 p.m.: The canoe is expected to arrive at Sand Island between 9 and 11 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018.

ORIGINAL POST, Dec. 11, 1:10 p.m.: After 18 days at sea sailing 2,253 nautical miles from San Diego, California, using traditional navigation, without the aid of modern instruments, the crew of Hikianalia spotted northern Oʻahu just after sunrise this morning.

As of Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, at 10 a.m., Hikianalia was approximately 46 nautical miles away from Sand Island. The current estimated time that the canoe will be arriving at the Marine Education Training Center (METC) at Sand Island is sometime between 8 p.m. and midnight this evening.

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“We’ve spotted the north side of Oʻahu, just after sunrise and it’s never looked so good,” said co-captains Kaniela Lyman-Mersereau and Jason Patterson in an email message sent this morning from the canoe. “The wind is still pretty fresh out here and we’re still going to have to work for it, but we are headed your way. Mahalo piha for all of your support. Can’t wait to see you guys on the dock,” they added.

In addition to co-captains Kaniela Lyman-Mersereau and Jason Patterson, the crew is being lead by navigator Haunani Kane. Click here to explore the entire leg four crew roster.

The sail across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Honolulu will complete the Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage, which launched in August for crew to share the culture and history of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the important values of caring for our earth with communities along the coast of California.

Hikianalia departed Honolulu on Aug. 18, 2018, and made landfall at Half Moon Bay, California on Sept. 10, 2018. While in California, the canoe made stops in San Francisco, Sausalito, Monterey, Ventura County, Redondo Beach, Catalina Island and Orange County before making a final stop in San Diego. While in San Francisco, the voyagers shared a message about the importance of ocean stewardship at the Global Climate Action Summit and other events focused on environmental and cultural preservation. Each port stop began with an arrival ceremony hosted by the indigenous and local communities of the area. The crew engaged with thousands of people along the coast of California by holding public presentations, school visits and dockside canoe tours to share the history and legacy of Polynesian voyaging and the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society.