"Closing the Triangle: A Quest for Rapa Nui"

On-Line Resources for the Voyage to Rapa Nui

(under construction)

1. Mission / Purpose

1.1. Purpose of Voyage

1.2. Challenge of Voyage: East, toward the Rising Sun; Upwind for 1200 miles

1.3. Oral Tradition of Rapa Nui Settlement-Hotu Matua

1.4. "Voyaging and Isolation in Rapa Nui Prehistory" (article by B. Finney)

1.5. Bibliography

2. Preparation

2.1. The Canoe: Hokule'a

• Dimensions and Carrying Capacity
• Capability: Speed and Windward Ability
• Against the Wind-Tacking, Waiting for Wind Shifts

2.2. Geography of the Route

• Wind, Weather, and Ocean Currents
• Islands and Distances
• Geography, History, Culture, & Ecology of Islands (Marquesas; Mangareva; Pitcairn; Rapa Nui; Rurutu / Australs; Tautira / Tahiti; Rangiroa)
• Itinerary
• Tracking Chart

2.3. Sail Planning

"Given this canoe Hokule'a and these destinations and conditions, how would the canoe sail to? How long would it take? "; On-line Resources: course strategies for each route

2.4. Crew Positions and Selection

"How would you choose a crew"; On-line Resources: PVS Crew Positions and Selection Criteria; Crew Bios

2.5. Preparation

"How do you prepare yourself to fulfill your role for a voyage of 3-5 weeks?"

• Crew responses to question on preparation
• Navigators ("What do you need to know to navigate successfully for up to 2400 miles on the open ocean?"); On-line Resources: outline of study for navigators; information on how non-instrument navigation is done

2.6. Provisioning

"What would you take with you to insure your survival and well-being for 3-5 weeks at sea?'

• Personal Needs; On-line Resources: PVS list of personal gear
• Dietary Needs; On-line Resources: menus for voyage
• Canoe Needs; On-line Resources: canoe manifest
• Medical Needs; On-line Resources: list of medical supplies

3. The Voyage

3.1. Life at Sea

• Daily Routines; On-line Resources: "Daily Life on Hokule'a"; Wallace Wong's Journal
• Hygiene and Health; On-line Resources: Crew responses to "How do you stay healthy on a 3-5 week voyage?")
• Pasttimes; On-line Resources: Crew responses to "What do you do in your spare time?")
• Dangers and emergencies at Sea; On-line Resources: PVS Emergency Procedures
• Crew Member Reports

3.2. Non-Instrument Navigatio

The following information will be on line:

• How non-instrument navigation is done
• Night Sky information for Different Months (June through December) and Different Latitudes (20° N to 30° S)
• Daily Weather Information Correlated with the "Surface Pressure Map" and "Surface Wind Map" of the Pacific (0 hr., 24 hrs., 48 hrs.) at the University of Hawai'i's Department of Meteorology weather website at http://lumahai.soest.hawaii.edu
• Daily Reports and Weekly Navigation Problems or Questions
  • Wind and Sea Conditions
  • Sailing Strategy
  • Latitude Clues along the Route
  • Landfall Clues

3.3. Sealife

• Land-based and Pelagic Sea Birds of the Pacific
• Mammals of the open ocean (whales and dolphins)
• Pelagic Fish (tunas, swordfish, mahimahi, ono, sharks)
• Hokule'a Fishing Report