> Some people obviously just got really into the idea of sailing to the islands.

Not to be argumentative, but why would we think that the Polynesians knew that Hawaii (as one example) was out there in the middle of the vast Pacific.

Whereas we know Mars exists and we know how to find it if we want to try to go there.

Perhaps they just were willing to gamble that surely there must be other islands out there like the ones they were inhabiting.