Hawaiian noninstrument navigator Chad Baybayan served as captain on the Hokualaka'i, which is just a year old, and Russell Amimoto skippered Hokule'a in his first major voyage in command. Hokule'a is 30 years old this year. The canoes stayed close to each other, and Baybayan navigated for both.

"It was a very rewarding trip for me, in terms of all the different layers that were involved: sailing with my crew, seeing the crew growth, having Russell take command of Hokule'a and to navigate Hokualaka'i (without instruments) for the first time and hit those targets," Baybayan said.

He said the canoes left Hanalei about 10 a.m., sailed through the day and night, and spotted Nihoa at 11:30 a.m. the next day. They left Nihoa at dawn and spotted Mokumanamana at dawn the next day.

The next night, the crews had a full moon during the summer solstice, and those on the boats could hear the cultural group chanting on the island, said Kaimana Barcarse, a video and still photographer with 'Aha Punana Leo, the Hawaiian-language school program that owns Hokualaka'i.

"An awesome experience," Barcarse said.

Hawaiian cultural practitioner Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole said that the opportunity to visit and conduct ceremonies among the archaeological structures on Mokumanamana was a moving experience.

"We achieved time travel. How do you explain such an intense spiritual connection?" he said. "In a lot of our chants, that is the edge of our universe."

Baybayan said the upright stones placed by early Polynesians on the spine of the island were clearly visible from the canoes.

"It was like you were in some kind of sacred presence," Baybayan said. "Seeing those islands, for the first time I understood the reason for creating a reserve up there."

The canoes traveled the entire distance to Mokumanamana under sail, escorted by the powered vessels Double Barrel and Kamahele. They were towed part of the way back to Hanalei due to contrary winds. They sailed back into the bay June 24 and tied up alongside the Hanalei Pier.

The canoe crews have been giving tours to school groups and others while in the bay. Yesterday, Polynesian Voyaging Society president Nainoa Thompson, who did not participate in the Mokumanamana sail, took Hokule'a sailing with several dozen Girl Scouts, their leaders and a few others.

The canoes were to sail from Hanalei to Nawiliwili this weekend in preparation for next weekend's passage to Ke'ehi Lagoon on O'ahu.