Photo from video of the crew as they prepare the canoes for departure in Hilo, courtesy Polynesian Voyaging Society

(BIVN) – The Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia are in Hilo, waiting for the right time to set sail for Tahiti.

The crew of the voyaging canoes, embarking on the Kealaikahiki voyage, “are prepared and ready to go,” the Polynesian Voyaging Society reported on Friday, “but they are waiting in Hilo for favorable winds so they can set sail for Tahiti.”

PVS says they are now tentatively scheduled to depart on Easter Sunday.

Photo from video of the crew as they prepare the canoes for departure in Hilo, courtesy Polynesian Voyaging Society

“While in Hilo, the crew has been busy provisioning the canoes and taking care of final voyage preparations,” PVS said in a news release.

Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia departed Sand Island for Hilo at approximately 11:15 a.m. on April 11. Hours before leaving, “PVS was notified that a crew member who participated on a training sail last week Thursday tested positive for COVID-19,” a news release stated. “Out of an abundance of caution, crewmembers who were also on that training sail were tested to ensure they were not infected. All of the crew members’ test results were negative, so the canoes were finally able to depart.”

Depending on the weather, the voyage to Tahiti will take approximately 20 days.