It was sacred knowledge, closely linked to the religion, myths and customs of Micronesia. The strictest requirements were placed on those who were appointed Master Navigator in a religious ceremony. Mau Piailug was therefore initially hesitant to pass this knowledge on to members of the Polynesian culture. Eventually, however, he became convinced that it was more important not to let this knowledge fall into oblivion.
A successful maiden voyage
And so, on May 1, 1976, the “Hōkūle’a” actually set out on the journey from Hawaii to Tahiti, a good 4000 kilometers away, with 15 people on board, one of them Mau Piailug as navigator. From the start he had doubts as to whether they would be able to achieve their goal. Mau was a skilled navigator, but it was the first time he had had to prove his skills over such a distance.
He spent most of his time in the same place and hardly slept. Understandable when you consider what he had to constantly keep an eye on: water, sun, stars and the wind.
© Sam Eifling / Associated Press / picture alliance (Ausschnitt)
»Papa Mau« Piailug | The mural in Honolulu, Hawaii depicts the man instrumental in preserving Polynesian Wayfinder traditions. In the background the »Hōkūle’a«.
The longer the journey lasted, the more strenuous it became. 15 people lived together in a very small space, with almost no shelter, for weeks on the open sea. Towards the end of the trip, emotions ran high, and there were even physical fights at times. For example, during the four weeks at sea, there were arguments about whether their voyage was more of an anthropological research trip or an attempt to give Polynesian culture part of its identity back. Both claims repeatedly collided on board the 19-meter sailor.
But after a little over a month it was done. On June 4, 1976, the “Hōkūle’a” arrived in Pape’ete, Tahiti. The reception of the boat and its crew could not have been more roaring: around 17,000 people, almost half of Tahiti’s population at the time, had come.
The success of the voyage electrified the people of Polynesia, their traditions revitalized before everyone’s eyes. Mau Piailug became an international celebrity more or less overnight.