Hawaiian Star Compass

This work is inspired by the navigation chart that was used by the earliest Polynesian voyagers who explored the Pacific, all the way through to the current day sailors on the Hokule'a.

The information was shared by Pius "Mau" Piailug, a Micronesian navigator from the Carolinian island of Satawal, and taught to Hawai'i's modern day voyagers. It is now being used for traditional, non-instrument wayfinding and deep-sea voyaging on Hawai'i's double hull canoes.

The Hawaiian star compass divides the horizon into 32 distinct houses. The House of Hikina corresponds to east, where the sun rises. The house of Komohana corresponds to west, where the sun sets. Stars rise and set in a line parallel to the path that the sun rises and sets. The house that a star rises from is the same one in which it sets. This way, the recognition of a rising or setting star, plus the knowledge of the house in which it rises and sets gives the observer a directional point of orientation.

In other words, to steer the canoe at night, if the star rises in a house -it sets in "the same house. If we steer towards that star, and the subsequent stars that rise from that house, we can steer a straight course.

Creative collaboration from David Reisland, Cliff Johns and Gary Eoff.
Handcrafted from Mango, Tropical Ash, Milo, Shell, Dyed Maple Base & Cordage.