Big Island of Hawaii

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Here are two stories of sailing adventures with Captain Kiko:

	An afternoon on the water with Captain Kiko by Don Lewis
	Canoe sailing with Kiko by Hanne Moeller and Ross LewAllen

Canoe sailing with Kiko

Story by Hanne Moeller
Photos by Ross LewAllen

We met in Punalu’u in the district of Ka’u on the Southeast coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. I was excited to go out with captain Kiko in his double hulled sailing canoe, which he rebuilt from two 1953 single outrigger paddling surfing canoes in the traditional Polynesian style. The 1953 canoes were molded from a 1926 dugout canoe carved at Honaunau, south Kona.

The morning had been calm and sunny, but now the wind was getting stronger. Hawaii is a little like Denmark where I come from, even though Denmark is a Scandinavian country and not tropical at all. But both Hawaii and Denmark are basically a lot of islands with oceans all around them and constantly changing weather.

Kiko’s wa’akaulua (double hulled sailing canoe) showing the lashings joining the ‘iako (crossbeams) that connect the two hulls together

Rigging the sailing canoe in Hilo

I have to tell you that even though I have my roots in an old Viking country I am not particularly “søstærk” as we say…literarily meaning sea strong. Especially I am not fond of the swells. So I looked out at the beach of Punalu’u with some anxiety. A Swiss woman from our sailing group couldn’t wait to get out there: “I like it wild!” she stated. I knew my morning ginger tea was not enough to cope with the rows of rolling white caps. “If you are going out there I am not going!” I said.

Getting ready to sail

Luckily Captain Kiko decided that we should drive up along the coast to Hilo where there is breakwater. And off we went in a convoy after Kiko and his double sailing canoe on a trailer.

We waded out to the canoe and climbed down into the holes just big enough to contain one person, but my long legs had plenty of room underneath. We sat on seats in hatch openings that could be closed to keep the sea out in rough weather. Including captain Kiko and his crew we were 8 people on board from 5 different countries: Switzerland, Germany, Nepal, USA and Denmark.

It was great fun paddling the canoe and getting the feeling of the wind in the sail. Under the experienced and kind guidance of our captain we did a dance with the ocean for the next hours. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes elegantly turning around.

Captain Kiko

Ross and I on Kiko’s double hulled sailing canoe
Photo: Tenzin

When we left the breakwater and went out into the open sea the swells started to come. Yikes! Kiko checked in on me regularly to see how I was doing. I felt in good and responsible hands.

And actually I was doing amazingly well. I did have to keep my full concentration on the movements of that big Pacific as the swells came rolling. The canoe was so close to the water that I could dip my hand in it. It would have been very easy to throw up. But I didn't. In fact I felt the closeness to the water and its movements easier to deal with than being on the 30 foot Catalina sailboat my American man Ross keeps in San Diego, California.

Suddenly Kiko pointed way out in the distance and said there was a whale. Actually he was able to predict the spot where the whale would come up next time and blow its fountain of water in the air. And he was right! All those years of experience had taught him how to read the water and life in it. It was wonderful that the whales decided to surface and we watched these playful giants at a respectful distance. Kiko maneuvered away from them to give them their space.

Suddenly there were whales in Hilo bay

Kiko’s double hulled sailing canoe anchored inside the breakwater.

The two canoes each came with their own names – Wahine ‘Akala and Keoni Nakai. After 11 years sailing as a double canoe a name was given; however it is not yet revealed, waiting for the person who gave the name to perform the naming ceremony.

Sometimes paddling, sometimes just enjoying the sail and listening to Kiko’s stories about Hawaiian traditions and history we went back inside the breakwater for a trip around the bay.

I felt greatly rewarded for having overcome my trouble with seasickness. And I can highly recommend going out with Kiko and his beautiful vessel to connect with the traditional Hawaiian seafaring stories.

Hanne Moeller's Transatlantic Journalism website

Ross LewAllen's Jewelry website and Shamanic Healing Practice website

An afternoon on the water with Captain Kiko

by Don Lewis

A Hawaiian sailing canoe is not at all like a narrow, river canoe with a handkerchief sail that threatens to fling you and your belongings into the water with malicious glee. It is more like a catamaran with two substantial hulls joined by a solid deck. Passengers sit comfortably in the hulls. It is very stable.

Kiko is a serious yacht master, equally skilled in nautical construction as in sailing. He knows every river and cove on the island, and he delights in showing off secluded haunts that a visitor would never discover on their own. You’ll learn more about Hawaii in the course of a couple of hours casual conversation than you would ever find in even the best tourist guide books.

I’m a reasonably accomplished sailor and race regularly. So I was eager to see how this unusual (to me) boat would perform. Passengers sit in individual cockpits in the two hulls. A very practical aspect of this boat is that if you need to get the boat out of a sheltered bay and into the wind, it is a simple matter to paddle. No fussing with engines.

Once in the wind, the sail is raised and the boat moves smartly. It is more exciting than a traditional boat of the same size because you are closer to the water, yet very stable because of the twin hulls. There is plenty of room to stretch out on the deck once under way.

I was fascinated by the fact that the boat has no rudder. The helmsman steers with a large paddle. Kiko invited me to try my hand at the helm. Well, that was a completely new experience for me, even with a lot of sailing skill. It isn’t even like steering a traditional canoe. Steering is accomplished by inserting a paddle vertically beside one hull, and altering the depth of the paddle. This alters the lee balance fore and aft in conjunction with the set of the sail. It is a surprisingly accurate way of steering, and really difficult to get used to when you are used to a traditional helm. Fortunately my fellow passengers were amused by my learning the subtleties of steering this delightful craft. And Kiko was genially patient wih a guy who thought he knew how to sail!

Don Lewis

Montreal, Canada

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