Francis Pimmel was commissioned to build 5 canoe models for the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu. For this project, Pimmel aimed to reproduce ancient style lashings that are rare on old canoe models, and even more so on contemporary Hawaiian canoes. The very fine and intricate lashing of the gunnels to the hull, and the one holding both parts of a manu together is what makes those models unique and worth studying. Pimmel was particularly pleased with the 32 inch Hawaiian racing canoe carved out of very curly Koa and covered with its red tarp. The sail is a custom design by the artist, and the double blocks crown this extremely sporty looking canoe.

2007 was also the Melanesian phase for Francis Pimmel, who is a great admirer of canoes of the Solomon Islands - in particular the war canoes from San Cristoval. As a collector of old canoe models, Pimmel was frustrated at the scarcity of old Solomon Islands canoe models. The rare nature of such canoes led Pimmel to make his own, the first of which, with its Nguzu nguzu and prow finial, can be seen here. The canoe is inlaid on both sides with mother of pearl and paua shell. The design is representative of an old Solomon Island legend.

Another recent addition to Pimmel's range of Polynesian canoes is the Samoan Paopao canoe, decorated with shell inlays.

The year of the Marquesan islands canoe. Francis Pimmel travels Europe to conduct research into ship and canoe models, and artifacts of Oceania at renowned marine and ethnography museums. Key stops on this trip were the National Maritime Museum in London Greenwich and the PittRivers Museum in Oxford. The collection of artifacts from Papua New-Guinea at the Horniman Museum in South London proved a great source of research material. The Musee d'Ethnographie in Neuchatel provided an exciting opportunity to study the Marquesan canoe models illustrated in Hadden & Hornell's book "Canoes of Oceania". On his return Francis completed his first double hulled Marquesan islands canoe model, which is decorated at the stern of both hulls with sculptures typical to those islands. Illustrations of such Marquesan carvings are extremely rare to come by. The sculptures on this model are exact replicas of original carvings on exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum. It is said that the lines of the Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hokulea are derived from that of the double hulled Marquesan. (Marquesan canoe model: 38 inches long, with a beam of 8 inches)

Commissioned to build a 6 foot long scale model of the surfing canoe “Ka-Moi,” made famous by Duke Kahanamoku. This model was executed with the collaboration of Tay Perry of the Outrigger Club who provided measurements and construction details, and with Paul Dolan, the Outrigger’s Club historian.