The voyaging canoes Hokule'a and Alingano Maisu were returning to the Big Island last night after a problem with the steering equipment on one of the vessels.

The canoes left Kawaihae Harbor at sunset Friday and were sailing down the western coast of the Big Island when they found the problem. Polynesian Voyaging Society spokeswoman Kathy Thompson said there were no injuries reported.

She said voyage leadership wanted to repair a crack on the handle on one of the steering sweeps before setting off on a 2,400-mile voyage to the Marshall Islands.

It was not clear how long repairs would take, or which canoe had sustained damage.

Thompson said the canoes were looking for a safe anchorage where they could make repairs.

Before the problem was found yesterday, Polynesian Voyaging Society president Nainoa Thompson, accompanying the canoes in a powerboat as they remained close to the Big Island, telephoned before noon to report the canoes were about 10 miles north of Ka Lae, or South Point.

Their plan was to catch the trade winds after passing the southern end of the island, and to turn west-southwest. Their goal is Majuro in the Marshall Islands, but they will try to pass close to Johnston Atoll (often called Johnston Island) along the way. Johnston, about 900 miles from Kawaihae, is almost directly in line with Majuro.

Majuro is a little more than 1,400 miles beyond that.

Thompson said in a statement that Johnston — a low island with few trees — will be difficult to find in any case, and the navigators are likely to rely on spotting species of seabirds that return to land each night and normally go only a certain distance from their home islands.

The manu o ku, or white tern, is among these birds. If the navigators see them, they know land is near, even though it may be over the horizon.

Navigators on Hokule'a, led by captain Bruce Blankenfeld, are to take the lead from Hawai'i to Johnston. Then navigators on Maisu, led by Chadd Paishon, will lead from Johnston to Majuro.

"This is the perfect opportunity to continue the practicing and training of traditional non-instrument navigation. The continuation of practicing and teaching navigation is also seen as an important gift to the voyaging legacy of our teacher, Mau Piailug," Thompson said.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.