Created in HAWAII ... our first shirt design.

We're not from Hawaii, but voyaging to here by sail (as I did), like the ancestors of this region before us, provides me local credibility. To STAMP "Hawaii" on something is risky business. To create a shirt that looks like it's from Big Island was important to us, yet we also wanted our design to embody our values.

We created something we could proudly wear, tell our story, and represent my infant perspective of Hawaiian Amakua: a god-like representation for "the family," the Modern Geographic Sailing family.

FIRST, I will say: I'll never be anything but "houle;" not a derogatory label ... it means "not of direct Hawaiian genealogy." I embrace being houle. My fisherman "uncles" tell me they're half-houle but speak Hawaiian fluently (with no accent), so if they're that, I'm pretty sure I'll never be anything but houle. So, as I make mistakes with my interpretation of Hawaiian culture, please know that I'm trying.

CONTINUING ... I put an icon of "Solstice" at the center of the shirt which is the central focus for everything because we built Solstice with our bare hands; we sailed it here! We continue to care for and sail Solstice. We are a family of sailors and boat builders, endeavors worthy of Hawaiian Amakua. NEXT: we encircled Solstice with a tattoo-like ring to convey three important pieces of the story: Solstice, Hawaii, and SHARKS TEETH; (note: tattoos have deep significance in Oceania).

My SHARKS TEETH pattern was specifically made to represent me, Paul Exner (a somewhat reclusive practitioner of sail-training in the deep ocean). The symbol portrays teeth of the LONGFIN MAKO (Isurus paucus) who is a rare and misunderstood "nihui" (Hawaiian word for "large dangerous shark"). The Longfin Mako has also frequented the Mona Passage west of Puerto Rico, a place I hold dear to my heart. The shape of the "tattoo style" teeth I created were carefully researched to not conflict with any other tattoo symbol used by another family in Hawaii; my symbol renders opposing teeth from the center of Longfin Mako's jaw, and they speak to Polynesian tattooing tradition to translate my teaching philosophy with Modern Geographic Sailing as: Guidance; Power; and, Adaptability ... the qualities I wish to pass-on to students of my expeditions.

LIMITED: This design will be printed on 100 shirts. When these shirts are gone, that's it. We created the design ourselves in Hawaii; they were printed here on the Big Island! We may print shirts of a different design in the future.

PROUD ... anyone wishing to wear one of our shirts will make us proud! MAHALO NUI LOA.