Mark Towill, who hopes to sail with the Hōkūle'a on its proposed circumnavigation of the globe, was one of 15 crew members whose Transpac journey was documented in film. - Photos: Courtesy of Morning Light

Epic adventure: Hawaiian waterman sails onto the silver screen

By Lisa Asato / Ka Wai Ola

When you grow up paddling, kayaking and sailing and having master navigator Nainoa Thompson as a family friend and mentor, it's safe to say that the ocean will be your life, or at least a big part of it.

Such is the case for Mark Towill of O'ahu's Windward side – whose epic adventure as a crew member aboard the Morning Light in the Transpac race from Los Angeles to Honolulu was made into a documentary film that recently debuted in select theaters nationwide. The Honolulu premiere of Morning Light on Oct. 16 raised more than $12,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Hawai'i Sailing Foundation.

Towill, who attended the Honolulu and Hollywood premieres, described the 2,500-mile race as “the most intense 10 days of my life and the most fun for sure – an incredible experience that if I could, I would rewind and do it all over again and not change a thing.”

“It's a really cool feeling when you're halfway through the race a thousand miles from land in any direction ... everything just has a purpose and your space is very limited so you bring only what you need,” he added. “You pack your whole life into a small duffle bag. It forces you to choose what's important. Obviously the people you're with become very important. ... If you get into an argument with someone you can't just walk away from it. You're forced to deal with it.”

Now 20 and a sophomore at Brown University, Towill was an 18-year-old Punahou senior during filming – the youngest of the 15 crew members whose ages ranged up to 23 years old. An experienced leader as captain of his high school kayaking and sailing teams, Towill said he was content to take a supporting role aboard the 52-foot sloop Morning Light. “I just tried to be a team player and do what was best for the team,” he said. “Obviously I was the youngest so I wasn't going to be in a leadership role, but sometimes leading is knowing when to follow.”

The Morning Light crew, which was assembled by Transpac veteran Roy Disney of Disney fame, was aided by two computers on board, downloadable satellite information and a Global Positioning System that was accurate “up to the fifth decimal point,” Towill said.

Through Thompson's teaching and some sailing experience aboard the Hōkūle'a, Towill said he can identify stars, but is “nowhere near” being able to navigate by them. “That's a big goal of mine,” said Towill, who hopes to embark on his first deep-sea voyage with Hōkūle'a on its proposed trip around the world.

Before the 2007 race, Towill introduced his teammates to Thompson in hopes of exposing them to the cultural aspects of sailing, and all were taken for a sail aboard the Hōkūle'a.

“(Transpac) was a lot more special for me because I was sailing home,” Towill said of crossing the finish line at Diamond Head. “I wanted (my teammates) to feel connected to this place as well so in a certain sense they would all feel like they were come home, at least a little bit.”