By Tribune-Herald staff
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The Hokule‘a and Hikianalia voyaging canoes are expected to arrive in Hilo this afternoon, and celebrations honoring their trans-Pacific journey will be happening this weekend.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society announced this week that the Hokule‘a and Hikianalia departed from Mauliola (Sand Island) on Oahu on Monday morning at 5 a.m. after unsafe weather conditions in the ‘Alenuihaha Channel between Maui and Hawaii Island delayed their departure by two days.

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“The delay in departure underscores Polynesian Voyaging Society’s steadfast commitment to safety and the importance of listening to and observing nature before launching each leg of the journey,” the nonprofit research and education group said in a statement.

The canoes are expected to arrive around 4 p.m. today at the Grand Naniloa Hotel, where the community is invited to greet them with an arrival ceremony and welcoming celebration honoring traditional voyage arrival protocol.

A dockside engagement from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the hotel on Thursday will offer the community an opportunity to connect with the crew, learn about the voyage, and deepen their understanding of Polynesian navigation and values.

On Saturday, the Hokule‘a Ho‘olaule‘a from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the makai side of the Wailoa Boat Harbor near the Suisan Fish Market will celebrate the ships and honor their crews with music, entertainment, food trucks and more before they continue to the next stop on their journey, French Polynesia.

The wa‘a (canoes) are fully loaded for the next leg of the Moananuiakea Voyage, a four-year circumnavigation of the Pacific that will traverse approximately 43,000 nautical miles as the vessels visit 36 countries and archipelagos, nearly 100 indigenous territories, and more than 345 ports.

About 400 crew members from Hawaii and the Pacific will be involved aboard the Hokule‘a and Hikianalia throughout the journey.

The Hokule‘a and Hikianalia are tentatively expected to depart for French Polynesia from Hilo next Friday, May 30. All times for this week’s events, as well as next week’s departure, are weather-dependent. Learn more at www.hokulea.com.