Our Canoes
Kānehūnāmoku
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Name: Kānehūnāmoku
Birthplace: Hakipuʻu/Kualoa Birthday: Nov. 19, 2002 Builder: Jay Dowsett and Jerry Ongies LOA: 29’ BEAM: 11’ |
The Kānehūnāmoku program began in 2000 as a voyaging curriculum at Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School under Captain Bonnie Kahapeʻa-Tanner. In 2001, the school began to build Kānehūnāmoku. The canoe builders were Jay Dowsett and Jerry Ongies, and put together by the students of Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School. On November 19, 2002, the canoe was then birthed at Hōkūleʻa Beach in Hakipuʻu/Kualoa. In 2014, Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy became an independent nonprofit, developing three foundational programs.
Wa‘a Kānehūnāmoku was named after “The Hidden Islands of Kāne" from Hawaiian mythology, a group of sacred, legendary islands in the Hawaiian islands archipelago that are said to appear and disappear from sight. According to tradition, these islands may be seen on the horizon at sunrise or sunset, but can vanish, float above the ocean, or remain hidden beneath the sea according to the will of the gods. The hidden islands are often described as sacred places connected to spiritual beings, ancestral knowledge, and the unseen world.
In our story, Captain Bonnie Kahapea-Tanner witnessed the appearance and disappearance of Kānehūnāmoku in 2002 near Kapou Island (Lisianski) while on an education exploration research cruise to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. One night during her voyage, she decided to sleep on the deck of the vessel with a colleague to help sort her lingering thoughts about the canoe back home. As the night passed and dawn approached, she was awakened by the sounds of birds and the first light in the sky.
As she rose more out of her slumber and began listening and seeing her surroundings, the daybreak in the horizon started to rise as well. Faintly in the distance islands began to float above the sea. As she became fully aware of what was happening, she counted all 12 majestic islands emerging from the sea. Just as quickly as they had appeared, they then vanished. Upon returning back to O‘ahu and sharing the story of the islands with her students at Hālau Kū Māna, one of them proclaimed, “that’s the name of the canoe.”
In many stories, Kānehūnāmoku is a place where people gained special knowledge and wisdom before returning to share it with others. Our Captain shares that same experience with the Hidden Islands of Kāne. The educational coastal sailing canoe, Kānehūnāmoku, takes its name from this powerful moʻolelo. The name symbolizes discovery, learning, and the pursuit of knowledge beyond the visible horizon—values that align with the academy's mission of teaching traditional Hawaiian voyaging and navigation.
A beautiful ʻōlelo noʻeau associated with Kānehūnāmoku is:
“Kia aku ka maka i ka ʻālihilani, a ʻōili mai ka moku lā."
Fix your eyes upon the horizon, and the island will appear.
This saying reminds navigators, students, and lifelong learners to remain focused on their goals, trusting that knowledge and opportunity will reveal themselves along the journey. Thus waʻa Kānehūnāmoku was created to perpetuate the traditions of non-instrumental navigation, voyaging, and ocean stewardship for future generations through education and training. The canoe serves as a floating classroom where students and community members learn through hands-on experiences in Kāneʻohe Bay. Today, Kānehūnāmoku continues to serve as a vessel for education, cultural preservation, and community engagement throughout Koʻolaupoko and Koʻolauloa in Windward Oʻahu.
Wa‘a Kānehūnāmoku was named after “The Hidden Islands of Kāne" from Hawaiian mythology, a group of sacred, legendary islands in the Hawaiian islands archipelago that are said to appear and disappear from sight. According to tradition, these islands may be seen on the horizon at sunrise or sunset, but can vanish, float above the ocean, or remain hidden beneath the sea according to the will of the gods. The hidden islands are often described as sacred places connected to spiritual beings, ancestral knowledge, and the unseen world.
In our story, Captain Bonnie Kahapea-Tanner witnessed the appearance and disappearance of Kānehūnāmoku in 2002 near Kapou Island (Lisianski) while on an education exploration research cruise to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. One night during her voyage, she decided to sleep on the deck of the vessel with a colleague to help sort her lingering thoughts about the canoe back home. As the night passed and dawn approached, she was awakened by the sounds of birds and the first light in the sky.
As she rose more out of her slumber and began listening and seeing her surroundings, the daybreak in the horizon started to rise as well. Faintly in the distance islands began to float above the sea. As she became fully aware of what was happening, she counted all 12 majestic islands emerging from the sea. Just as quickly as they had appeared, they then vanished. Upon returning back to O‘ahu and sharing the story of the islands with her students at Hālau Kū Māna, one of them proclaimed, “that’s the name of the canoe.”
In many stories, Kānehūnāmoku is a place where people gained special knowledge and wisdom before returning to share it with others. Our Captain shares that same experience with the Hidden Islands of Kāne. The educational coastal sailing canoe, Kānehūnāmoku, takes its name from this powerful moʻolelo. The name symbolizes discovery, learning, and the pursuit of knowledge beyond the visible horizon—values that align with the academy's mission of teaching traditional Hawaiian voyaging and navigation.
A beautiful ʻōlelo noʻeau associated with Kānehūnāmoku is:
“Kia aku ka maka i ka ʻālihilani, a ʻōili mai ka moku lā."
Fix your eyes upon the horizon, and the island will appear.
This saying reminds navigators, students, and lifelong learners to remain focused on their goals, trusting that knowledge and opportunity will reveal themselves along the journey. Thus waʻa Kānehūnāmoku was created to perpetuate the traditions of non-instrumental navigation, voyaging, and ocean stewardship for future generations through education and training. The canoe serves as a floating classroom where students and community members learn through hands-on experiences in Kāneʻohe Bay. Today, Kānehūnāmoku continues to serve as a vessel for education, cultural preservation, and community engagement throughout Koʻolaupoko and Koʻolauloa in Windward Oʻahu.
Māhealani
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Name: Māhealani
Birthplace: Unknown Birthday: Nov. 19, 2002 Builder: Kirk Clark LOA: 25’6" BEAM: 15’ |
Coming soon!
Ellen Eoreni
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Name: Ellen Eoreni
Birthplace: Mauliola, Honolulu Birthday: January 10, 2015 Builder: Eseliquipi Plasito LOA: 16' BEAM: 10' |
Under the mentorship of Eseluqupi Plasito, son of legendary master navigator Mau Piailug, the traditional Micronesian sailing canoe Ellen Eoreni was built on Oʻahu through an extraordinary community effort. Over the course of three months in 2014, more than 700 volunteers joined experienced canoe builders and cultural practitioners to hand-carve the canoe using traditional methods. Launched in early 2015, the canoe's name, Ellen Eoreni, means "Road to the Culture," symbolizing the journey of reconnecting people with the knowledge, values, and traditions of their ancestors.
The canoe was created through the Connecting Oceanic Pathways: Walking the Stick of Our Ancestors initiative, honoring Mau Piailug's legacy and his vision of strengthening relationships among Pacific Island communities through voyaging. The project brought together Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy, KUPU, Kōkua Kalihi Valley & Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, the University of Hawaiʻi's Ka Holo Waʻa Program, community leaders, educators, and volunteers, with support from the Ward Village Foundation and the Marisla Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. Today, Ellen Eoreni continues to represent the power of mentorship, cultural revitalization, and the enduring spirit of Pacific wayfinding.
The canoe was created through the Connecting Oceanic Pathways: Walking the Stick of Our Ancestors initiative, honoring Mau Piailug's legacy and his vision of strengthening relationships among Pacific Island communities through voyaging. The project brought together Kānehūnāmoku Voyaging Academy, KUPU, Kōkua Kalihi Valley & Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, the University of Hawaiʻi's Ka Holo Waʻa Program, community leaders, educators, and volunteers, with support from the Ward Village Foundation and the Marisla Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. Today, Ellen Eoreni continues to represent the power of mentorship, cultural revitalization, and the enduring spirit of Pacific wayfinding.
ʻŌpae
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Name: ʻŌpae
Birthplace: Unknown Birthday: Unknown Builder: Jay Dowsett LOA: 16' BEAM: 8' |
ʻŌpae is a single-hull, three-person outrigger canoe designed as a waʻa kū moku (mobile land canoe) for educational programming and sail training.
Ku‘upōki‘ialoha
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Name: Ku‘upōki‘ialoha
Birthplace: Hakipuʻu/Kualoa Birthday: May 1, 2026 Builder: Kailua Canoe LOA: 25’ BEAM: 9’6” |
Wa‘a Kuʻupōkiʻialoha was created in response to the evolving needs of our haumana and communities, grounded in the values, lessons, and way of life the waʻa teaches us. As challenging weather is increasingly keeping us from the water, we adapt as our kūpuna always have – by paying attention, reading the elements, and adjusting sails. The kuleana of this waʻa is to travel by land to classrooms when the ocean cannot bring her, ensuring learning, relationship, and connection continue through the changing seas.
She was launched on May 1, 2026 at Kualoa/Hakipu‘u on Hōkūleʻa beach to continue the moʻokuʻauhau of canoes birthed out of the Hawaiian renaissance. The canoe builders were Jay Dowsett and Joe Banks of Kailua Canoe and put together by the students and community of Mālama Honua Public Charter School and Hui Mālama O Ke Kai. The Hōlua Hulls were created by adapting the popular ʻopelu design.
This waʻa, Kuʻupōkiʻialoha, is part of a broader initiative called Ka Pou Kū Mau – a project weaving Hawaiian sailing practices, ancestral knowledge, and the stories of kūpuna, reminding us where we come from and giving us the tools and guidance we need to navigate our future. Through waʻa-centered curriculum for all ages, a documentary honoring kūpuna, and now our little sister waʻa, we continue to “practice your culture” and remember that the brilliance of our ancestors live in all of us.
The name Kuʻupōkiʻialoha comes from the oli, Kū mākou e hele me kuʻu mau pōkiʻi aloha. This chant, composed in Pele’s voice, tells us the story of her migration to Hawaiʻi with her siblings – it is a story of congenial relationship, perseverance, and aloha. The hulls, Kamohoaliʻi and Kaʻahupāhau, shark siblings to Kānehūnāmoku, are here to protect, teach, and guide us as we navigate land and sea – supporting us to “make strong” in all that we do. It reminds us also of Mauʻs instructions to “make one family”.
She was launched on May 1, 2026 at Kualoa/Hakipu‘u on Hōkūleʻa beach to continue the moʻokuʻauhau of canoes birthed out of the Hawaiian renaissance. The canoe builders were Jay Dowsett and Joe Banks of Kailua Canoe and put together by the students and community of Mālama Honua Public Charter School and Hui Mālama O Ke Kai. The Hōlua Hulls were created by adapting the popular ʻopelu design.
This waʻa, Kuʻupōkiʻialoha, is part of a broader initiative called Ka Pou Kū Mau – a project weaving Hawaiian sailing practices, ancestral knowledge, and the stories of kūpuna, reminding us where we come from and giving us the tools and guidance we need to navigate our future. Through waʻa-centered curriculum for all ages, a documentary honoring kūpuna, and now our little sister waʻa, we continue to “practice your culture” and remember that the brilliance of our ancestors live in all of us.
The name Kuʻupōkiʻialoha comes from the oli, Kū mākou e hele me kuʻu mau pōkiʻi aloha. This chant, composed in Pele’s voice, tells us the story of her migration to Hawaiʻi with her siblings – it is a story of congenial relationship, perseverance, and aloha. The hulls, Kamohoaliʻi and Kaʻahupāhau, shark siblings to Kānehūnāmoku, are here to protect, teach, and guide us as we navigate land and sea – supporting us to “make strong” in all that we do. It reminds us also of Mauʻs instructions to “make one family”.
