Alingano Maisu

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Alingano Maisu, also known simply as Maisu, is a double-hulled voyaging canoe built in Kawaihae by members of Na Kalai Wa'a Moku o Hawai'i and 'Ohana Wa'a members from all throughout the Pacific and abroad as a gift and tribute to Satawalese navigator Mau Piailug, who navigated the voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a on her maiden voyage to Tahiti in 1976 and has since trained numerous native Hawaiians in the ancient art of wayfinding. The word maisu (pronounced /maɪʃu/) in the name of the canoe comes from the Satawalese word for breadfruit. In particular, the word refers to breadfruit that has been knocked down by storm winds and is therefore available for anyone to take. The name is said to symbolize the knowledge of navigation that is made freely available.[1]

The concept for Alingano Maisu came about in 2001 when two Hawaiian voyaging groups, the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Na Kalai Wa'a Moku o Hawaii, met with Piailug. The two hulls of the 56-foot vessel were fabricated by the Friends of Hōkūle‘a and Hawai‘iloa on Oahu and shipped to the Big Island of Hawaii where Na Kalai Wa'a completed construction of the canoe. The Polynesian Voyaging Society provided much of the funding for the voyaging aspect of the project as well as an escort boat to help sail the boat to Satawal.[2]

The canoe is home-ported on the island of Yap under the command of Piailug's son, Sesario Sewralur.[3]


[edit] Maiden voyage

Accompanied by Hōkūle‘a, the Maisu left Kawaihae, Hawaii on January 18, 2007. After stops in the Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, and Chuuk, the Maisu reached Satawal on March 15, 2007. On March 18, while on Satawal, five native Hawaiian navigators on the voyage were inducted into pwo, a sacred Micronesian brotherhood of master navigators.[4]

Hōkūle‘a and Maisu both left Satawal on March 20 and made stops in Woleai, Ulithi and Yap before reaching Palau. From there, the Maisu remained in Micronesia, returning to Yap state, while the Hōkūle‘a continued on to Japan.[5]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Polynesian Voyaging Society, http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/2007voyage/2007micronesiamaisu.html, quoting Ka Wai Ola, the Living Waters of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, March 13, 2006.
  2. ^ Kathryn Wilder, "Mau's Canoe," in Hana Hou (Hawaiian Airlines), Vol. 9, No. 4, August/September 2006. [1]
  3. ^ Jan TenBruggencate, "Voyage of Friendship" in The Honolulu Advertiser, Saturday, January 20, 2007. [2]
  4. ^ Honolulu Star-Bulletin
  5. ^ 2007 Sail Plan