Polynesian Voyaging Society spokeswoman Kathy Thompson, who sailed the most recent legs aboard Hokule'a, said three new crew members are with The Nature Conservancy, and will be providing environmental education talks during the canoes' visit to Palau.

Two Hawai'i high school students will also join the voyage, they are Waimea McKeague of Nanakuli High School and Aaron Akina of Kamehameha Schools.

The president of Palau, Tommy E. Remengesau, will be on board, along with medical doctor Vernon Ansdell, of the Aloha Medical Mission, who has been providing clinical services on Ulithi.

Hokule'a arrived on Yap earlier this week in company with the voyaging canoe Alingano Maisu, which was built in Hawai'i and has been given to the Micronesian community.

Alingano Maisu will be home-ported at Yap, where it will be overseen by Sesario Sewralur, the son of Satawal Island master navigator Mau Piailug. Piailug taught traditional non-instrument navigation to the Hawaiian voyaging community.

After ceremonies on Satawal, in which the canoe was presented to Piailug, and the traditional navigators of Piailug's school recognized five Hawaiian canoe sailors as graduates of the Weriyeng school of non-instrument navigation, the canoes sailed on to the atolls of Woleai and Ulithi before reaching Yap on Sunday. The crews cleaned the canoes early this week, and had planned to reprovision with food and other supplies that had been shipped to Yap in a container for that purpose.