Petersburg Pilot -

Community members are preparing to welcome the crew of the Hōkūle'a when it visits Petersburg this week as part of its Moananuiākea Voyage, a journey that will cover 43,000 nautical miles around the Pacific Ocean over the next four years.

According to the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the Hōkūle'a, meaning "Star of Gladness," is a deep sea double-hulled voyaging canoe built in a traditional Hawaiian style that can be crewed by about a dozen people.

Its voyage will take 400 crew members, who will rotate during each leg of the journey, to 345 ports across 36 countries and archipelagoes an...