Students set to sail their labor of love
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
LA'IE — The traditional twin-hulled voyaging canoe Iosepa was poised to set sail from Hukilau Beach early today on its maiden voyage to the Big Island.
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Aboard were some of the people who had helped build the 57-foot vessel on a park lawn, in a scene reminiscent of old Hawai'i.
The sailing canoe Iosepa, built for BYU-Hawai'i by La'ie community members, was to set sail early today.
Iosepa, hand-built by the La'ie community in 2001 for Brigham Young University-Hawai'i with a $619,000 grant from the W.H. Kellogg Foundation, has become part of the school's Center for Hawaiian Language and Cultural Studies program.
Its voyage — like building the canoe and three years of training to prepare the crew — marks a step on a spiritual, cultural and educational journey, said Kawika Eskaran, one of the master builders. It stands as a testament to renewed interest in things Hawaiian, he said, and serves as a reminder of the spirit and ingenuity of the ancestors.
"Many of us are turning back to the old ways and seeing the value of what our ancestors had," Eskaran said. "They were geniuses, and often we forget that they were."
William Wallace III, director of the BYUH Hawaiian studies program, described the trip to Kawaihae as a chance to continue a shared dream. Uncle Bill, as he is known, initiated the canoe-building project and enlisted as teacher his cousin Clay Bertelmann, who had built and captained the sailing canoe Makali'i. Bertelmann died in January.
As Iosepa was taking shape in 2001, students, then neighbors and others began to stop by, initially out of curiosity, then to drop off food for the workers or perform odd chores.
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"Whatever your talent, you share," one volunteer said at the time. "I catch fish, so I bring fish here."
Canoe builder Kawika Eskaran, center, helps students with last-minute details before Iosepa is launched from Hukilau Beach in Lai'e on its maiden voyage to the Big Island to pay respect to those who helped.
Wallace, 55, said the project took the Hawaiian studies program and him in new directions, such as making him captain of the Iosepa.
The floating classroom involves students, residents and the voyaging canoe community. The Big Island trip will give students a chance to put into practice all that they've learned, and, in some cases, to reconnect with their ancestral past.
Soft breezes swept the La'ie beach yesterday afternoon as the stately canoe waited in the hot sun to be fitted with gear and launched. More than a dozen crew members quickly loaded ropes, sails and other equipment on board. At about 1 p.m., they were told they had a three- to four-hour window to get the canoe into the water while the tide was high.
Sail time was to be between 2 and 4 a.m. today. The trip to the Big Island would take about 19 hours. Rain was expected.
Crew members said it was a privilege to sail on the maiden voyage. "There were so many who would like to be in our place," said Noelani Lowe, 28, a graduate of BYUH.
To be chosen required showing up for the work, taking prescribed courses and training, said Lehua Aki, 23, another BYUH graduate. Students also had to be able to swim hundreds of yards and float in the water for an hour.
"Everyone is excited," Aki said. "Our families are excited. My mother in Nevada is excited."
The canoe was scheduled to launch May 12 but was delayed because of weather. It will travel to Kawaihae, where the Makali'i is home-ported, to pay respects to that crew — who helped train the students during the past three years — and in memory of their teacher, Bertelmann. Makali'i's current captain, Chadd Paishon, will help sail.
As an offering, Iosepa will take the Makali'i crew a handcrafted boom created by BYUH for another canoe.
In June, a new crew will bring the Iosepa back, hopefully with stops in Hana and Moloka'i, Eskaran said.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
