Kimokeo Kapehulalehua, Jamie Woodburn, Kama Hahn, Matt Muirhead, Kendall Struxness and Chris Luedi had the distinction of being the crew of record as the paddling team reached its goal Friday.
According to Bob Kaden who has been tracking the paddling canoe’s voyage via e-mail and satellite phone, the crew aboard Ke Alaka‘i O Ko‘u Mau Kupuna reached their goal at 6:52 a.m.
“The rules established by the federal government did not allow the crew members to touch land,” Kaden states in an e-mail update. “Instead, the crew held a ceremony on the canoe with chanting by Kapehulalehua.”
Kaden said the volunteers, two men and two women who work for the federal government, were amazed by the moment and were either crying or stunned silent.
“These isolated folks on Laysan who waded into the waters of the lagoon to meet the canoe were presented with a gallon of frozen ice cream,” Kaden said. “Many other gifts of food and symbolic personal gifts in honor of ancient residents of the island were offered by the crew.”
At the point of crossing, Kaden said, the canoe was 25 degrees 46 minutes north and 171 degrees 45 minutes west with the crossing taking place about five hours earlier than predicted.
Kaden said that Struxness, speaking over satellite phone, “was grateful, lighthearted and emotional.”
Struxness said all of the crew was in good shape and in high spirits.
Ke Alaka‘i O Ko‘u Mau Kupuna’s journey took 92 hours, four hours short of four days. Kaden said the actual paddling time totaled about 83 hours covering 418 nautical miles. That distance equates to about 450 “landlubber” miles, he said.
During the journey, two rest stops were scheduled, but only one was taken at Gardner Pinnacles where the crew had a nine-hour opportunity “to catch their breath, brace for what remained and pack down as many calories as possible.”
Kaden said a second scheduled stop at French Frigate Shoal was abandoned because it was night and the ocean was rough. Under these conditions, the crew did not want to deal with bringing the canoe aboard the American Islander escort in slippery, hazardous conditions.
Kaden said the crew has already begun the trip back to Nawiliwili Harbor and is expected to arrive around midday Wednesday.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
