Hawaiian Studies professors and students from BYU-Hawaii, as well as several others in surrounding communities launched the university's traditional twin-hulled sailing canoe, the Iosepa, from Hukilau Beach in Laie on June 3 for a short series of sea trials.
A relatively small number of people watched the latest launching, compared to the thousands who thronged Hukilau Beach on Nov. 3, 2001. On that day, following appropriate Polynesian protocol, Elder M. Russell Ballard of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dedicated the canoe.
Elder Ballard and hundreds of others helped slide the 57-foot hand-carved canoe into the water, and then enjoyed a Hawaiian luau. Elder Ballard is the great-grandson of former Church President Joseph F. "Iosepa" Smith, who served several missions in Hawaii starting in 1854 and dedicated the Laie Temple site in 1915.
BYU-Hawaii formed the Jonathan Napela Center for Hawaiian Language and Cultural studies in 1998 with the help of a $617,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Center director William K. Wallace III, who everyone calls "Uncle Bill," and his staff came up with the idea to carve a traditional sailing canoe as part of the program's Malama Kai or ocean resources component.
After the plans were approved, the project took on a unique dynamic: Many people in addition to the BYUH Hawaiian Studies faculty and students got involved. Tongan master carver Tuione Pulotu, assisted by Hawaiian master carver Kawika Eskaran, did the basic design and shaping without blueprints.
Pulotu came to Laie over 40 years ago to help build the Polynesian Cultural Center as a labor missionary for the Church, and had previously carved a 105-foot traditional sailing canoe in Tonga. Since no appropriate logs were available in Hawaii, he obtained the wood from Fiji.
Hundreds of other people from the community, throughout Hawaii and abroad visited the carving site and volunteered their help. "Iosepa has become a mighty symbol of education for the Hawaii Studies students at BYU-Hawaii, and a powerful connection to the community," said university president Eric B. Shumway at the recent launching.
"I anticipate this will be a come-and-see centerpiece for the University for many years to come," he said.
Since Iosepa was ceremonially launched in 2001, the Hawaiian Studies program has continued to refine its safety features with the continued help of Polynesian Cultural Center staff and community volunteers. "We've had wonderful cooperation," Wallace said.
With the volunteer help and house-moving equipment of "Uncle Babe" Keanu from the community, the Iosepa was moved to Hukilau Beach on June 2 and was originally supposed to be launched that afternoon, but a critical cleat broke in the process of raising the mast, delaying the launch while Eskaran made temporary repairs.
Wallace explained the Iosepa would spend several days going in and out "doing sea trials" so crewmembers can get the feel of handling the canoe on the water, raising and lowering the mast, and going through various drills. He noted that after the trials, the Iosepa will be transported back to campus.
"We still have a lot of work to do on it, and we may make a spare mast," Wallace said. "Crewmembers will undergo five days of intensive training with Captain Clay Bertlemann of the Makalii later this month on the Big Island of Hawaii. We plan to do some additional sailing on the Iosepa in July."