Sun

Steering by day is often less accurate than steering by night, when exact points of light can guide the wayfinder. Also, unlike stars, the sun rises and sets in different places during the year. The sun is most useful for wayfinding when it is low in the sky – in the early morning and late afternoon.

Each dawn, a wayfarer lines up the sun’s position with the star positions. During the day, he might also note the sun’s angle over parts of the vaka to work out his course. Before the sun sets, he notes where it is. He knows his chosen star paths GLOSSARY star paths - the sequence of stars to follow from one island to another in relation to this position.