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Provisions for a Modern Voyage on Hokule`a
[Photo
below: Oranges for the Crew / Honaunau, 1992]
 Like
an ancient voyaging canoe, Hokule'a is relatively a self-contained
environment. It has to take with it what the crew needs to survive
for the number
of days at sea,
though food and water can be supplemented by fish and rain caught
during the voyage.
The canoe has a
displacement of about 12.5 tons (25,000 pounds). It weighs 7 tons
(14,000 pounds) with its rigging, so it can carry an additional 5.5
tons (11,000 pounds)-which includes the weight of the crew, as well
as the weight of provisions, supplies, and personal gear.
Food consists mainly
of canned, packaged, and dried foods, and weighs about a ton. On a
long voyage, about one-and-a-half tons of water are stored in
five-gallon plastic jugs. The crew eats three meals and is allotted
one quart of water per day. During the voyage, the captain monitors
how much is being consumed. If the voyage is taking longer than
expected because of unfavorable winds, the food and water are
rationed. However, dehydration can be a problem in hot, humid
weather, so water has been rationed. This was done only twice in the
history of Hokule'a voyaging. Rainfall, caught in tarps, helps
replenish the water supply.
The quartermaster must
distribute the weight of the supplies in the two hulls and be
careful not to overload the canoe because overloading would reduce
the canoe's maneuverability and increase the possibility of
swamping. On the 1992 voyage, quartermaster Harry Ho and the
captains supervised the provisioning and loading of the canoe.
On its 1992 voyage
from Hawai'i to Tahiti, which was estimated to take about 30 days,
the canoe left with a crew of 13 (twelve men and one woman) and
about 35-40 days of food and water.
Provisions and
supplies for the canoe included the following:
1.75 tons (3,500
pounds) of water (or about 407 gallons in 81 five-gallon containers;
water weighs 8.6 pounds per gallon);
One ton (2,000 pounds)
of food
Galley Equipment
(e.g., propane gas stove, pots and pans, kitchen utensils, dishes)
Safety Equipment (e.g.
life preservers, safety harnesses, safety nets, fire extinguishers,
man-overboard float with pole, surfboard, anchors, portable
hand-operated bilge-pumps, foul-weather gear, waterproof flashlights
Global Positioning
System (GPS) unit to give the crew the position of the canoe in an
emergency; ARGOS transponder to send position back to UH Manoa;
EPIRB to send out emergency position reports)
Communication
Equipment, powered by two 12-volt marine batteries and three solar
energy panels mounted at the back of the canoe (VHF radio and
antennae for short-range communication; single-side band radio for
long-range communication.
Optional: Inmarsat-C
equipment which can transmit GPS position reports via satellite back
to Hawai'i [these position reports are sent automatically and
without the crew's knowledge whenever the computer is turned on and
every 10 minutes thereafter.
Documentation
Equipment (e.g., pens and tablets, tape recorders, video camera,
camera)
Medical Supplies (See
"Medical
Needs"; a medical officer is included as a member of each
crew.)
Various Sizes of Sails
and Extra Ropes and Lines
Tools (e.g.
screwdrivers, hammers, hand saws, planes, pliers, wrenches, files,
clamps)
Recommended personal
gear for each crew member includes such items as: a passport, a
driver's license, medical card, knife with fid, dark glasses with
tether, hat or head protection, small flashlight, extra batteries,
roll of small line, ball of wax, roll of duck tape, log book and
writing implements, camera and film, poncho liner or light sleeping
bag, as well as toiletries (sun screen and lip balm, towels and wash
cloth, sea soap, shampoo, tooth brush and paste, dental floss,
razor, a small mirror, toilet paper and sanitary napkins, etc.). For
passing the time, paperbacks, a star book, and a walkman and tapes
are permitted; no radios are allowed as they can be used to locate
the direction of land (by turning the radio in different directions
to find the direction of a radio signal) or to hear reports of the
canoe's location. Mask, fins, and snorkel are optional. Each crew
member packs his or her gear in a 48 qt. cooler and a small duffle
bag, with a hip pack and gear hammock for carrying or hanging
things.
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