Episode 137: The Tradition of Polynesian Voyaging with Bruce Blankenfeld
“For myself, like many Hawaiians at the time, Hōkūleʻa was like an amazing concept...there wasn’t much for us young Hawaiians to be apart of like that. ”
In this episode, we're journeying to Hawaii to explore the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging, guided by the experienced Bruce Blankenfeld. For over 600 years, the canoes that originally brought the first Hawaiians to their island home had vanished—until the 1970s, when artist Herb Kāne envisioned and built Hōkūleʻa, a double-hulled sailing canoe modeled after traditional designs. Bruce embarked on his first voyage with Hōkūleʻa in 1977 during training sails and has since navigated tens of thousands of miles across Polynesia, the Pacific, and the world, serving as both captain and navigator on Hōkūleʻa and its sister canoe, Hikianalia.
Bruce also oversees the repair and maintenance of both canoes and plays a crucial role as Voyaging Director and Board Member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Join us for a captivating story of adventure, resilience, and the enduring spirit of Hawaiian tradition.
Bruce also discusses:
2:40 - What it is like to grow up in Hawaii
3:40 - An overview of Hōkūleʻa
6:05 - Describing Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia
8:00 - The disappearance of these style canoes and what brought them back
9:30 - Herb Kāne and his vision to bring the canoes back
14:30 - What is Hōkūleʻa almost 50 years later
18:20 - The first voyage and what it was like
19:45 - How he got involved
24:00 - His first voyage on Hōkūleʻa
25:45 - What fueled him to keep coming back for more
30:30 - Fundamentals of navigating by the stars
38:30 - What it’s like for him to keep this tradition alive
41:30 - Putting his trust in tradition vs technology
43:00 - The Moananuiākea voyage
47:00 - Ways to get involved and learn more
49:25 - Who is going to play him in the Hollywood movie about his life
You can learn more about Bruce and the mission of Hōkūleʻa by following them on Instagram @hokuleacrew and their website hokulea.com.
See below for photos Bruce shared from his adventures.
Watch the Full Behind The Scenes Episode
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