On May 1, 1976, a traditional Polynesian canoe called Hōkūleʻa left Honolua Bay in Hawai’i and began the 3,800-kilometer (2,400-mile) journey to Tahiti.

Polynesian voyagers use the stars, wind, clouds, ... Voyagers must also understand what changes in the wind and wave patterns could mean. When it comes to finding land, ...