The crew of 16 Northwest Hawaiian Islands paddlers with plans to stroke from Nihoa Islet some 350 miles-plus to French Frigate Shoals are heading home. They are members of the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society, and departed from Nawiliwili Harbor
The crew of 16 Northwest Hawaiian Islands paddlers with plans to stroke from Nihoa Islet some 350 miles-plus to French Frigate Shoals are heading home.
They are members of the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society, and departed from Nawiliwili Harbor on Monday afternoon.
Kaua‘i team coordinator Alan Fayé of Princeville received a sattelite-beamed call from team leader Matt Muirhead at 4:55 p.m. yesterday with word that the paddling expedition was returning home.
“Makani Olu (the expedition’s sail / motor escort vessel) burned more fuel than expected due to light winds from Nawiliwili to Nihoa,” Fayé reported in an e-mail to The Garden Island. “If they were to continue to French Frigate Shoals, they would burn all the remaining fuel and then would have to sail without motor and this would take six days. Captain made the call.”
Fayé said that at 4:50 p.m. Wednesday, the crew had paddled some 126 miles towards Mokumanamana, an island more commonly known as Necker. They had 35 miles to go, were paddling at an average speed of 5.7 knots and experiencing hot weather.
“Expect arrival at Mokumanamana about 11:30 p.m. tonight,” Muirhead reported to Fayé. “Will anchor overnight and load canoe in the morning. Continuation to French Frigate Shoals is out,” Muirhead told him. “All team members are fairing well, with good spirits, although some fatigue is setting in. No injuries.”
Muirhead said seas were running at about 5-7 feet, but were expected to rise to 7-10 feet today.
The crew is now planning to arrive at Nawiliwili Harbor by Sunday.
The paddle is a continuation of last year’s 165-mile paddle from Hanalei to Nihoa. Paddler and voyage organizer Kendall Struxness of Princeville is again aboard and paddling.
In June the crew paddled from the Hale‘iwa small boat harbor on the North Shore of O‘ahu to Nawiliwili as a warm-up for the Nihoa-Tern Island paddle.
