37 48.922 N, 122 21.911 W
Yesterday afternoon a kayaker from the junk rigged sailboat, Gia, paddled by and told us about some Polynesian boats that would be arriving from Hawaii and would be stopping in Clipper Cove today. So we decided to stay and find out.
We learned more from the website, http://www.pacificvoyagers.org/. Six vaka or traditional ocean going sailboats of the Polynesians had left from New Zealand, Fakarava to be exact and sailed to Hawaii to attend a conference on the oceans. From there they sailed to San Francisco, a journey of about 30 days. Vaka are a type of catamaran, 70 feet long and 18 feet wide. It has two sails mounted fore and aft with a long oar for a tiller. They are very impressive and we got a chance to watch them enter the cove and beach on the shore. Some members of the local Polynesian, specifically Maori culture, performed a Haka or traditional chant to welcome them. You might have seen an example of a Haka in the movie, 'Invictus', where the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team does the Haka before a game against South African Springboks. It is very impressive.
The voyage is intended to draw attention to the oceans and to help revive the Polynesian culture and teaching. It is amazing the traveling the Polynesians did across the Pacific ocean without sextants, GPS, radar, radios, etc.
The vaka were quite a sight. We waved and clapped to welcome them and to cheer their arrival. You never know who will be arriving in an anchorage.
Tena koutou i tenei ahiahi (good evening in Maori)
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