Bjorklund Log: Honolulu

I prescheduled this posting. We are currently at sea and am not able to make such elaborate, photo heavy posts. I figured I would break up the string of passage related posts with some of our Hawaii memories.

What an unexpected treat our time in Honolulu was! Initially neither Tor nor I were interested in going there, but when we learned that friends of ours from Seattle on S/V Celestial, as well as two other boats we met in Hilo and wanted to catch up with, S/V Anna Caroline and S/V Terrwyn were there, we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately we just missed Terrwyn as they had already left for their passage back home to Victoria, but we got to catch up with and bid Scott, Donna and Celeste from Celestial farewell as they departed for the passage to Sitka. And happily we got to spend more time with and better get to know Janneke and Wietze from Anna Caroline. We met them in Hilo and were very excited to catch up with them again. Janneke gave each boy a big bear hug as soon as she saw them and I assure you, the feeling is mutual!

Our time in Honolulu was spent provisioning (always with growing boys, goodness!), doing boat projects, hanging out at the most friendly and welcoming Hawaii yacht club, watching the Friday night fireworks at the lagoon between the marina and Waikiki beach, spending a day at the most impressive Bishop museum, and participating in the most amazing public event Tor and I have ever been to. Lantern Floating Hawaii was on Memorial Day at Ala Moana park next to the marina (walking distance, convenient!). Lantern Floating Hawaii is organized and put on by the Shinnyo-en Buddhist temple in Honolulu, and it is a beautiful ceremony to honor the memories of lost loved ones, as well as those who served our country. 6000 lanterns are distributed and something like 50,000 people come to write their remembrances on the lanterns and float them out to sea. Not only was it incredibly moving to participate in, but the organization was incredible. Both Janneke and I were able to get lanterns for our families, we spent the afternoon at the beach together and floated our lanterns together. It was an intimate and collective experience all wrapped up in one, simply amazing and we are so grateful we were able to experience and fully participate in it.

We stopped at Molokai enroute from Maui to Honolulu.
Kaunakakai was a neat town to visit.

We bought this giant grapefruit relative from a farmer on
Molokai. We forgot what it was called, but
it had pink firm flesh and was delicious!

We had a fun evening socializing with other cruisers
on Molokai. The boys even got a ukelele lesson!

The famous Diamond Head of Honolulu from the water.

Odin helping on the bowsprit

Little boat, big city. The marina's location downtown is
primo.

We were only there for 6 nights, but that was long enough
for a bird to make a nest in our radar reflector. We tried
to respectfully relocate it, but I'm afraid it wasn't
successful :(.