August 12, 1999

Atuona, Hiva Oa--Hokule'a's crew finished packing the food into the hulls of the canoe. All the crew members made their last minute preparations for departure, scheduled for Saturday morning at first light.

Schedule

Thursday morning, the crew will go on a well needed sight seeing expedition to Puamau on the far eastern end of Hiva Oa. When the crew returns to Atuona in the late afternoon, the local community will conduct a farewell ceremony, which will include a dinner and dance performance by Te Pua o Feani. Friday, the crew will visit Ta'aoa, to the west of Atuona.

Weather

The weather for the past 24hrs has been poor. 90% cloud cover has dominated the sky with frequent squalls. The winds have picked-up a few knots as well, blowing in the 15-20 kt range. Accompanying this weather has been a substantial south by south-west swell. Some local kids have been taking advantage of the good surf in the bay of Atuona.