A traditional voyaging canoe sailing thousands of miles across the Pacific is preparing to arrive in Taiwan as part of a months-long cultural and educational expedition connecting island communities across the region.
The canoe Alingano Maisu, led by Grandmaster Navigator Sesario Sewralur and a crew of 13, departed Palau in mid-February to begin a four-month voyage covering roughly 6,200 miles.
The crew is expected to sail into Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on March 7 for an official welcome ceremony after arriving early and taking time to rest and make necessary repairs.
Organized by the Micronesian Voyaging Society of Palau, the journey highlights the revival and continuation of traditional Pacific navigation.
The crew navigates without modern instruments, relying instead on natural cues such as star paths, ocean swells, winds, clouds, and bird movements.
According to organizers, the voyage is designed not only as a long-distance sailing expedition but also as a platform for education, cultural exchange, and environmental awareness.
At each stop along the route, crew members plan to engage with schools, universities, and local communities through workshops, youth programs, and discussions focused on ocean stewardship and cultural knowledge.
The intergenerational crew includes experienced navigators alongside younger apprentice seafarers from across Micronesia and the Pacific.
The expedition aims to pass traditional navigation knowledge to a new generation while strengthening connections among Pacific island communities.
Among those on board is Sewralur’s son, London Moss Sewralur, a trained traditional navigator, along with other young crew members representing Palau, Hawaii, Yap and Guam.
Following its arrival in Taiwan, Alingano Maisu will continue its journey across the region with planned stops in Taitung and Hualien before sailing north to Okinawa in April.
The canoe is scheduled to arrive in Guam on May 1, then continue on to Saipan, Satawal, and Yap before returning home to Palau at the end of May.
The voyage is expected to last approximately 100 days, including time spent at sea and on land participating in community and educational programs throughout the Pacific.
