Patagonia launched a must-have book on the traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe, smartly blending words and personal experiences with glamorous photos and illustrations.
The story of the original Hokule'a is simultaneously epic and tragic, beautiful and bittersweet. In a way, it is a mirror of life, with its unexpected ups and downs, celebrations and disappointments.
Hokulea means "Star of Gladness" in Hawaiian. The original Hokulea was launched on March 8, 1975. Three years later, the double-hulled sailing canoe capsized and one of its crew members, the legendary Eddie Aikau, paddled his surfboard back to land to get help, but despite all efforts, he was never seen again.
Today, after being rebuilt, the Hokule'a is one of the guardians of our planet, a seasoned veteran of the seas which navigates the oceans with its experiential educational programs.
The Hokule'a is, and always be a living organism that knows the corners of the world, and the secrets of the liquid territory like few other objects and species.
"Malama Honua: Hokule'a - A Voyage Of Hope" is a luxurious and content-rich hardcover book that will inspire Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians to explore the enchantments of nature, through one of the ultimate symbols of Polynesian culture.
All ten chapters, four photo galleries, and multiple crew stories reveal the Hokule'a in all its glory. You'll find "local voices" sharing their knowledge and experiences on several critical topics, including solar power, wind energy, agroecology, tortoise restoration, waste recycling, but also relevant historical and environmental facts and figures.
Jennifer Allen (author), John McCaskill (illustrator), and John Bilderback (photographer) found the perfect formula for keeping the reader continuously entertained.
The 352-page publication released by Patagonia documents Hokule'a's three-year journey across the globe to raise awareness and suggest solutions for climate change.
For those who still live thinking that climate change is nothing but fake news, the book encourages and invite them to open their eyes and minds to the facts that are in front of us.
"This mission of the navigators on the Hokule'a speaks to all of us. In Hawaii, they call it 'Aloha.' In South Africa, we say 'Ubuntu.' When you live this quality, you are known for your generosity. Ubuntu means that you recognize that you can't exist in isolation," Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu writes in the foreword.
The Hokulea is 62 feet in length, and 20 feet in width; it's a stunning vessel that represents the Polynesian culture. With its 12-14 crew members, the canoe set sail from Hawaii in 2014 and visited over 150 internationals ports and locations.
For the 40,000 nautical mile-long journey, the Hokulea navigators used ancient instrument navigating techniques based on the positioning of the sun, stars, winds, waves, and seabirds.
"Malama Honua: Hokule'a - A Voyage Of Hope" is neither a coffee table book nor a book for bedtime. It is a gift to be tasted outdoor when the sun is shining, and the ocean's blue. And we can assure you that this book will restore your hope in humankind.
