Hui O Wa‘a Kaulua (Assembly of the Double-Hulled Canoe) is sailing into uncharted waters.

This year, the hui is expected to complete Mo‘okiha, a 62-foot, double-hulled voyaging canoe.

Myrna Ah Hee called the effort an “all-encompassing singular project that defined our organization for more than a decade.”

With this long-awaited goal in sight, the 32-year-old hui is looking to shift its focus from constructing the canoe to teaching Hawaiian culture through the life of canoes.

Fortunately, the grassroots hui is receiving help from the Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF) through its Organizational Capacity Building program and a $5,000 grant.

Hui O Wa‘a Kaulua’s key staff and board of directors will plan out three years and strive to expand the group’s impact in the community.

“Recent transitions in leadership and staffing, and an assessment of the organization’s growth potential, have prompted the need for strategic planning now,” Ah Hee explained.

“It is critical to plan now for our approaching transition to a programs-based voyaging society that provides cultural stewardship and hands-on educational opportunities on Maui.”

We hope to see the hui — which serves Maui Nui residents and visitors of all ages — grow and become very visible in the community.

Imagine three canoes in action, with hui members teaching youth and adults about ocean voyaging and its ancient traditions. It will be yet another great facet of Lahaina.