Published September 25, 2026 at 1:09 PM HST

The nonprofit Polynesian Voyaging Society announced a further delay in the Moananuiākea Voyage.

The plan was for Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia to depart for Fiji from New Zealand by October.

But due to strong El Nino storms, those plans have been pushed back. The canoes have been in New Zealand since November 2025.

"So we wait here in Auckland, doing what we need to do to make sure the canoe's ready for the next leg, and hopefully get some training sails in," said Russell Amimoto, a pwo navigator and captain of Hōkūleʻa. "Weather here's been a little bit funky, which is one of the main reasons we've postponed this sail. We have these giant systems similar to what's going on in Hawaiʻi, just at a whole other level, giant lows coming through. Weather keeps changing, which weather changes, we can change our course, change our sail plan." 

The canoes will postpone their trip to Fiji and Tuvalu potentially until May 2027.

The canoes will remain in New Zealand, where crew members continue their training.