> did not have to go super far The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channels_of_the_Hawaiian_Islands#Kealaikahiki_Channel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channels_o

> did not have to go super far The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channels_of_the_Hawaiian_Islands#Kealaikahiki_Channel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channels_of_the_Hawaiian_Islan... in the Hawai'ian islands is where one starts to sail for Tahiti. It was far enough away (4'000+km; ~20 days sail?) to Tahiti that by the time the polynesians made it out there the original Hawai'ian colonists had lost the linguistic distinction between /t/ and /k/ in "kahiki" — but they still knew how to get back. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hōkūleʻa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hōkūleʻa