Threads of Kuleana: Sailing Forward Together

This month, our voyaging canoe Makali‘i returned to the open ocean for another shakedown sail — a time to test, adjust, and, most importantly, to learn together.

With the installation of her new mast, there’s a shift in how she moves and breathes. She is still familiar — her rhythm steady and known — yet she carries a new energy. This wa‘a kaulua, born in the season of Makahiki, continues to carry generations forward. And now, with a strengthened rig, she reminds us that tradition lives, and with it, we grow.

This sail brought together a wide range of crew: some from her 1995 maiden voyage, longtime voyagers, and a growing cohort of minis and next gens. Each represents a thread in Makali‘i’s mo‘olelo — all learning, leading, and training side by side. Together, they are weaving the next layer of her legacy. As longtime crew member Pelika Andrade of Nā Maka Onaona reflected:

“Some of our Ihuwa‘a crew got to head over to Hawai‘i to join our ‘ohana at Makali‘i for a weekend of crew training. Big turnout for Day 1 with some of the original crew of ‘95, waves of crew that have represented each voyage since then, and the minis - juniors - next gens! I’m so stoked for our Ihuwa‘a crew to spend time on Mama Makali‘i and in Kawaihae.”

This shakedown sail was more than a test of the canoe — it was a time for reconnection, showing up together, ready to learn, was the start. Each shared moment of figuring things out became part of the learning process — we can only find our way forward by being in it together.

For new crew member Hoʻola‘i Miday of ʻImiloa Astronomy Center, this sail was a first step into deeper kuleana — not just aboard Makali‘i, but in understanding the vital role of our escort vessel, Alakaʻi:

“Heading into this training sail, I already knew I wanted to learn more about the escort and the protocols around it. During our morning hui, Uncle Shorty reminded us that the escort is vital — it keeps others safe and allows the tradition to continue. Hearing his mana‘o made me want, and almost need, to be on Alakaʻi.”

Alakaʻi, our escort vessel, is not separate from Makali‘i. It is a companion in voyage — a vessel with its own kuleana, protocols, and pilina. To care for Makali‘i is also to mālama Alakaʻi. The safety and success of the journey depend on both vessels moving as one.

“I never had the privilege of learning from ‘Cap’ (Captain Clay Bertelmann) directly,” Hoʻola‘i adds, “but to be able to learn from those who did — I’m so grateful for the lessons, love, and aloha I’ve experienced so far. It’s starting to feel like I’ve found a home.”

Each sail reminds us that Makali‘i is more than a canoe — she is a living classroom, a place where knowledge is passed on. In moments like these, we see that voyaging isn’t just about knowing; it’s about showing up, trying, relearning, and trusting that through practice and pilina, we’ll find our course.

We are threads of kuleana — generations woven through Makali‘i’s story, each learning to sail forward, together. Hi'i Alo, Hi'i Kua.

Be part of this journey. Supporting our vessels Makali‘i and Alaka'i helps us continue to learn, lead, and carry forward Hawaiian voyaging traditions — from maintaining the canoe to training crews and connecting past, present, and future.

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Photographer: Na'alehu Anthony