Hokule'a: The Way to Tahiti

by Ben R. Finney, Richard Rhodes (Illustrator), Francis Wandell (Photographer)

Dust "In 1976 there occurred one of the most daring and unusual voyages of modern times - the sailing of a reconstruction of an ancient double-hull Polynesian canoe with a full crew aboard from Hawaii to Tahiti and return, covering a distance of almost 6000 miles. A dedicated group of scientists, sailors, and other volunteers, led by the author, had for years worked on this project, the object of which was to retrace the legendary voyages that once linked those far-flung islands and in doing so demonstrate to skeptics that the ancient Polynesians could have intentionally sailed across vast stretches of the Pacific without navigational instruments when most seafaring peoples were still hugging continental shores...."

310 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Alex Golub · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly good read. Finney's account of the birth of the PVS and the Hōkūle‘a's first trip to Tahiti is clearly written in short sections, which makes it go down easy. Finney unflinchingly recounts the racial tensions involved in the project with a candor which, although self-interested, seems credible. If anything, it leaves you wanting to hear more of the other side. While not easily available, I think it would be great in any classroom where the goal is to show the moral and political complexities of engaged anthropology.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this a lot more than i thought I was going to

[Maureen Shillington]

Learn about sailing from Hawaii to Tahiti!