A team of outrigger canoe paddlers last week completed a Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 450-mile paddle from Necker or Mokumanamana Island to Laysan Island.

The 15 members of the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyaging Society, who alternated in one-hour paddling segments for 83 hours, took one 9-hour rest stop near Gardner Pinnacles during the trip.

The elapsed time from when the paddling started to when it stopped was 92 hours.

Their canoe — the six-seat, 40-foot Ke Alaka'i O Ko'u Mau Kupuna — pulled into shallow waters at Laysan shortly before 7 a.m. Friday.

To avoid bringing contaminated materials onto the wildlife refuge island, the canoe did not land but biologists and wildlife volunteers on the island waded out to greet the paddlers.

The canoe was accompanied on its voyage by the escort vessel, American Islander, which brought the crew back to Kaua'i earlier this week.

The society has conducted paddling voyages from the Big Island across major channels to Laysan, and hopes to eventually complete its mission with paddling trips that take it to Kure, the other end of the Hawaiian archipelago.

In a satellite telephone report to a society member on Kaua'i, paddler Kendall Struxness said that society leader Kimokeo Kapahulehua chanted as the crew completed its voyage.

Kapahulehua said the society's mission is to reconnect with the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, promote stewardship of the Hawaiian Islands and perpetuate the experiences of ancient Polynesian voyagers.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.