On September 20th 1975, Moʻolele was born into the kai of Kaʻanapali, the foundational molds that formed her kaʻele still remain here in West Maui under the care of the Palakiko ʻohana and have also served to support the building of other famous waʻa kaulua in the past like Eala, Makaliʻi, and Maisu. She was named for a famous mo’o that leaped from Maunakawahine to islands in our Moananuiākea. I had heard from one uncle that this moʻo landed in Aotearoa or perhaps, according to ʻAnakala Akoni Akana, Te Pito o Te Henua. Moʻolele indeed is her namesake and flies through the water, I have sailed on other waʻa kaulua and she has her own personality of speed and the ability to lele.
I was born in ‘83, my mo’olelo about our kūpuna waʻa of Maui come from my dad, Kālepa Baybayan and other uncles and aunties as well as my own personal experiences sailing onboard her. When I look to my dadʻs moʻokuauhau of waʻa kaulua, Moʻolele was his first. Back then the wa’a was at Lindsey ‘ohana hale in Lahaina. I also learned from ʻAnakala Keola Sequeira that prior to that it was at his home. ʻAnakala Keola was the kalai waʻa and his skills with wood were absolute mastery.
In my beginnings sailing on Moʻolele, our captain Timi Gilliom would often tell us stories of her famous caretakers, Uncle Leon Sterling, Aunty Joanne Kahanamoku, the Lindsey ʻohana, Uncle Kale Eldridge, and so many more. So many hands have been part of the mālama of Moʻolele, in fact Uncle Al Nip lead an amazing program where he took haumana from Moʻolele to learn voyaging and sailing traditions aboard her and even did exchange programs with Makaliʻi. In her later years she remained at the hale in Pākalā Lahaina undergoing dry dock work to replace ʻiakos and other parts of the canoe.
On August 8, 2023 the Lahaina Wildfire swept through Lahaina and the hale where she was. When we returned to the hale after the fire nothing remained except her heiau, and the yoke of the paepae. Recently two kaʻele were donated to the Hui O Waʻa Kaulua and are the kaʻele that ʻAnakala Keola Sequeira had been working on to build another waʻa kaulua. ʻAnakala Keola has since transitioned into the realm of Po. Timi discovered that after inventorying all parts of that cane, only two pieces were missing, the heiau and yoke for the paepae.
Moʻolele sails with our kūpuna and I can only imagine all the fun being had. We continue to sail in her legacy and mālama her babies.
“E ola mau loa i nā waʻa kaulua o Hawaiʻi” (Kaimana Barcarse)
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