The canoe will be in dry dock for touch-ups and painting after last year's five-month, 9,000-mile journey to Micronesia and Japan.

Work is expected to last through mid-April.

Hokule'a has been in the water for 14 months and Polynesian Voyaging Society president Nainoa Thompson says, "although she is structurally in very good shape and is seaworthy, we pushed her hard and she sailed hard and it's time to care for her. It's more an expression of care and respect for the canoe. We sailed her hard and she took care of us."

After dry dock, Hokule'a will embark on a seven-month, 3,000-mile statewide sail to continue PVS' education and outreach programs and to train the next generation of crew leadership.

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