Glassy Sunrise

Hokule'a on Glassy Seas

Photo: Mike Taylor

Hokule'a sailing in light winds

Photo by Kanako Uchino

Nainoa navigating by the sun

Photo by Sam Low

Hanaiakamalama, the Southern Cross, in Honolulu

Hanaiakamalama, the Southern Cross, at 21 degrees North (Honolulu), appears 6 degrees above the horizon, upright over due south, as it crosses the meridian. Graphic generated by Voyager 4, Dynamic Sky Simulator (Carina Software). Click on image twice for full size graphic.

Hanaiakamalama, the Southern Cross, in Okinawa

Hanaiakamalama, the Southern Cross, at 26 degrees north (Okinawa), sits on the horizon, upright over due south, as it crosses the meridian. Graphic generated by Voyager 4, Dynamic Sky Simulator (Carina Software). Click on image twice for full size graphic.

Hanaiakamalama, the Southern Cross, in Okinawa

Hanaiakamalama, the Southern Cross, at 26 degrees north (Okinawa), sits on the horizon, upright over due south, as it crosses the meridian. Graphic generated by Voyager 4, Dynamic Sky Simulator (Carina Software).

Kamailemua and Kamailehope, Beta and Alpha Centauri, 26 degrees N

At 26 degrees N (Okinawa), as Hanaiakamalama (Southern Cross) sets S by W, two very bright stars, Kamailemua and Kamailehope (Beta and Alpha Centauri) cross the meridian about 1 hour and 25 minutes apart, at 3.5 and 3 degrees respectively, above due south. Kamailemua aligns with Menkent and points due south; Kamailehope aligns wiht Alpha Lupis and points due south--for the navigator, two more indicators of direction and latitude.

Hokulea in Brisk Winds.jpg

Photo by Kanako Uchida

Hokule'a in Brisk Winds

Photo by Kanako Uchida

Steering Hokule'a

Photo by Na'alehu Anthony

Map of Okinawa

Okinawa (pop. 1.38 million) is the largest of 47 populated islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Okinawa is 67 miles long by 2-17 miles wide, with an area of 454 sq. miles (larger than Moloka'i, smaller than Kaua'i). Naha (pop. 313,498) is the capital; Itoman harbor is south of Naha on the southern end of the island. Okinawa's highest point is Mt. Yonaha at 1634 feet.

From 1900 to 1908, over eight thousand laborers arrived in Hawai'i from Okinawa to work on the sugar plantations. Today, Hawai`i has the largest community of Okinawan ancestry outside of Okinawa. The thriving community celebrated its 100th anniversary of immigration in 2000. Okinawa has been a sister state of Hawai'i since 1985.