KAWAIHAE, Hawai'i — The worldwide family of master navigator Mau Piailug is coming together at this tiny, sun-baked port to finish a gift to him from them — a Hawaiian voyaging canoe that will perpetuate the ancient art of navigation among kids from Mau's home islands of Micronesia.

Thirty-year-old Osamu Kosuge from Chiba, near Tokyo, is here for a week to help build the canoe. There's a young man here from New Zealand. Students from Cornell and Brown universities have helped, and the Hokule'a is bringing a canoe load of helpers from O'ahu.

"To build a voyaging canoe, many different pieces need to be made," said Chadd Paishon, executive director of Na Kalai Wa'a, the voyaging canoe group at Waimea that is in charge. "We break the volunteers into smaller groups and each makes a piece. All the different people that Mau has touched are coming together to help."

Paishon said students around the world have participated in the education program of Na Kalai Wa'a for several years. Since Mau stays with Paishon in upcountry Waimea when he's in Hawai'i, many of the students have met the little man who taught Hawaiians to navigate without instruments.

"To them, he's a legend," Paishon explained. "They know he's always wanted a Hawaiian canoe to teach navigation to kids in Micronesia, and they want to help."

At Waimea, a storm blew down ripe mangoes from the trees. Students from a charter school gathered the mangoes, pickled and sold them, and made $600 in one day, which they have donated toward building the canoe. Volunteers have gone door-to-door to raise money.

Paishon said the builders in January needed $140,000 to complete the canoe. Since then, donations have cut that figure in half. The largest donors contributed $50,000. "We take anything people want to give; money, time, work, prayers," Paishon said.

He said the canoe should be completed within a month. The sailing date depends on the weather. With the hurricane season coming up, it may be a while.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Na Kalai Wa'a, P.O. Box 748, Kamuela, HI 96743. Checks should be made out to Mau's Canoe.

Mau said the canoe will go to Yap, where his son, Sesario Sewralur, 36, is a police officer. Mau himself is not well enough to sail. Sesario, who learned the ancient art of navigating without instruments from his father, said the canoe will be owned by Mau's family. He's organizing the Yap Navigational Society as a learning center.

"We have a lot of kids in trouble," he explained. Sesario said he wants to teach the kids not only navigation, but how to repair the canoe because "you can't navigate a canoe if you can't repair it."

He said the government in Yap, part of the Federated States of Micronesia, has donated just enough money for tools. He wants to put up a building in which to store the canoe and to use as classrooms and a repair shop. He's trying to raise $150,000 for this purpose. Donations can be sent to Sesario Sewralur, in care of Na Kalai Wa'a at the above address.

The primary teaching tool will be the canoe itself. Sesario said he plans to sail with students to other islands and atolls in Micronesia, and eventually to Hawai'i.

Sunday: Papa Mau talks about navigation.

Reach Bob Krauss at 525-8073.