The Last Navigator
From The Observatory
Date
February 5, 2026
Location
The Explorers Club, New York
Pricing
In-person (Member)
—
20 USD
Any type (Non-member)
—
35 USD
Area
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Join The Explorers Club to hear the story of master Micronesian navigator Mau Piailug, whose legendary knowledge of traditional wayfaring techniques and passion for keeping these practices alive made him a cultural hero.
This richly illustrated lecture will take us into a world of ocean navigation largely unknown to the West, a world in which the traditional navigator’s only directional tools are the stars, the ocean swells and the flight paths of birds.
In 1983 and 1984 Steve Thomas spent eleven months on Satawal Island and in the Western Carolines as an apprentice to Mau Piailug, then one of the last paliuw, captains fully initiated in the Talk of Navigation, the closely guarded, ancient practices around reading the cosmos and the seas.Agenda
Note: This event was originally scheduled for February 2nd, but has been moved to February 5th.
This in-person event at the Explorers Club Headquarters will include an audience Q&A.Key Speaker: Steve Thomas
Participants
The Explorers Club
Host, Organizer | Homepage
Headquartered in New York City with a community of Chapters around the world, The Explorers Club has been supporting scientific expeditions of all disciplines, and uniting our members in the bonds of good fellowship for over a century.
