The Navigator

In 1980, Nainoa Thompson became the first Native Hawaiian in six centuries to navigate a voyaging canoe from Hawaii to Tahiti without a compass or modern instruments. Nearly five decades hence, he embarks on the arduous open-ocean crossing one final time. He and a small crew of student navigators depend solely on the stars, nature’s clues, and teachings from the late master navigator Mau Piailug to steer them. They voyage 2,400 miles along the same sea routes used by their ancestors, bearing the weighty responsibility of preserving this ancient knowledge. Nainoa sails not only to reach an island but to seek something unseen. The Navigator reveals what is possible when we observe closely and connect deeply with the natural world.