Tuesday, Feb. 3

Source: Sam Low

Sunrise/Tautira

The white "bread truck" threads its way through the streets of Tautira, honking its horn. Women emerge from trim bungalow or ranch-style houses, cross lawns rimmed by hibiscus, and take delivery of slim baguettes-the Tahitian breakfast staple. There are puddles in potholes where roads are dirt-evidence of another early morning downpour. At the thin strand of the beach near Tautira's man-made boat harbor Nainoa, Bruce, Chad and Shantell gather once again to study the clouds at sunset. "What do you see, Shantell?" Nainoa asks after another group has had time to assess the evidence of weather presented by the brightening skyline.

"The clouds are towering," she says, "so the wind is light."

"What direction?" Nainoa asks.

"If you face North I can see the clouds moving," she says, "so the direction is probably northeast."

"Right, but slow, yeah?"

"Yes," Shantell agrees.

The light northeast winds will make it difficult for the canoe to make any progress toward Makatea--her first landfall after Tahiti. The navigators huddle to discuss the situation. The rising sun disappears behind a dark smudge of cloud and sends spears of light down to meet the rippled water of the lagoon. A fishing boat exits the harbor and picks up speed, heading east.

"I feel the pressure of our schedule to return to Hawaii," Nainoa says, "but the wind is light, we might not be able to make it to Makatea. We should think of what is best for the experience of the young navigators and the canoe. My instinct-from having watched the changes since Sunday-is that the wind will continue to get better. "Mau always taught me that you don't decide when to go, the weather tells you when you go, so I think we wait."

So we will not depart today for Hawaii but neither will we be idle. Hokule'a and Kamahele will weigh anchor to move over to a place near Tautira's school for an educational session and then set sail for a few hours to provide a Bishop Museum/Olelo film crew an opportunity to gather video material for an educational program. Then, in the afternoon, canoe and escort will return to their moorings to await a favorable wind shift. We are disappointed not to be on our way but, at the same time, glad for the opportunity to spend one more day with our Tahitian families.