The canoe was called "wa'a." "Wa'a kaukahi" was a single-hulled canoe; "wa'a kaulua" was a double-hulled canoe. The various parts of a canoe had the following names: 'aha: braided or twisted cord used in lashing the canoe, made of pulu-niu (coconut husk fiber), olona fiber, or hau (hibiscus bark fiber); 'aha-niu: cordage made of pulu-niu 'akea: hull of an outrigger canoe; starboard hull of a double canoe ama: float on an outrigger canoe; port hull of a double canoe. awa: harbor, port, cove; awa ku wa'a: canoe harbor or anchorage; awa pae: landing place 'eku: "snout" of the canoe, the prow, which digs into the ocean as the snout of a pig digs into the earth halau wa'a: canoe house heleuma: anchor hoe: a paddle; to paddle hoe uli: center steering paddle; hoe ama: port steering blade; hoe 'akea: starboard steering blade 'iako: arched crossbeams which fasten the floater (ama) to the hull in an outrigger canoe iwikuamo'o: keel iwi ka'ele: keel ka'ele: canoe hull kaula: line; kaule hau: hau (hibiscus) rope kaula hope: backstay, or line from mast to stern kaula huki: halyard, or line used to haul up the sail kaula ihu: forestay; line from mast to bow. kaula lana: mooring line kaula luahine: lashing line running alongside the canoe (in the mo'o on Hokule'a) to which the pa'u or ahu (storm cover) is lashed kaula pa'a: stay; line to secure the mast kaula paepae: sheets (lines controlling the angle of the sail to the wind) kaula pe'a: tricing line; used to open and close sail kaula pu: shrouds (lines which stay the masts to each side of the vessel) kaupo'i: median canoe-bow cover kawelewele: ropes used to assist in righting a capsized canoe ke'a: beams connecting the hulls of a double canoe kia: mast; kia hope: aftermast; Hokule'a's was named "Heiau" by Chief Tofa in 1976; kia ihu: foremast Hokule'a's was named "Terikitu" by Chief Tofa in 1976. ki'i: tiki, or carved image of a god; ki'i kane: the male tiki; ki'i wahine: the female tiki ko wa'a: line for towing a canoe, or dragging a canoe hull down from the mountain forest where it was chopped down and rough hewn. kua 'iako: portion of the 'iako lashed to the canoe hull kuamo'o: hull; keel kuapo'i: weatherboard kumu kia: mast step; kumuhonua: base of mast step kupe: curved endpieces covering the fore and aft parts of the hull; also called "manu"; kupe also means "to steer a canoe" la: sail; la-hope: aftersail; la-ihu: foresail lanalana: ornmamental lashing which binds the ama to the 'iako in an outrigger canoe lei hulu: feather lei flown from the tip of the boom liu: bilge, or inside bottom of the hull lona: blocks on which a canoe rest when out of water maka ihu: point at the bow end of a canoe manu: curved endpieces covering the fore and aft parts of the hull; manu hope: back manu; manu ihu: forward manu moamoa: point at the stern end of a canoe mo'o: side planks fastened to the top edges of the hulls to increase the height of the sides of the canoe above the waterline mouo: buoy muku: the part of the 'iako or ke'a (crossbeams) which extends beyond the hull niao: the rim of the hull noho: seat 'o pe'a: spar, or sprit; on Hokule'a, the spar is fastened to the luff (leading edge) of the sail, and is drawn up to the mast by the halyards 'ope'ope: bundles, packages, baggage brought on board the canoe paepae: boom; the spar to which the foot of the sail is fastened, and to which are fastened the sheets (lines for controlling the angle of the sail to the wind); the boom is raised and lowered with tricing lines pale: barrier; pale-kai or pale-wai: splashguards, sideboards, or weatherboards, used to keep breaking waves or swells out of the hull; pale kana: safety railing along or around the deck pa'u: storm covers which fit over the openings of the hulls pe'a: sail; pe'a hope: aft-sail; pe'a ihu: foresail pepeiao: "ear" or projections on the inside of the hull to hold the seats pola: center platform or deck of a wa'a kaulua (double-hulled canoe); also called papahele polena: forestay; "polena" also means "furled, as a sail is furled" (see kaula ihu). pueo: shrouds pukolu: a triple-hulled canoe wae: spreader, used to keep the hulls of a canoe from collapsing inward Hawaiian Canoe A Local Legacy Have you ever been in a canoe? Can you imagine traveling across the ocean in one? When Captain James Cook asked, "How shall we account for this nation having spread itself to so many detached islands so widely disjoined from each other in every quarter of the Pacific Ocean?" as early as the 18th century, he was wondering specifically about the Polynesian people. How did they get to so many islands spread so far apart? Perhaps the answer lies in the Hawaiian canoe. Canoes served several purposes for early Hawaiians. Can you guess what some of them might be? Smaller canoes were used for traveling around the islands, while larger canoes were used for long-distance traveling or warfare. Fishing was also done from canoes. And, just like today, canoes were used for sports and recreation. Hawaiian canoes were made of acacia koa, a tree that is now very scarce. Canoes were historically built by master craftsmen who oversaw all aspects of the process, from selecting the trees to getting the boat into the water. Lashing, or binding, of the pieces of wood was done with coconut or vegetable fiber. The Hawaiians most important tool was the adze (ko'i), which was used for chipping and cutting. Many different types of adze were made. Here is a sketch of an adze: The adze head was made from basaltic stone. The L-shaped handle was made from hau or olopua wood. The binding usually coconut sennit, was used to secure the head to the handle. Before binding, a piece of kapa, hala leaf, or banana leaf was placed between the head and the handle so the handle would not slip during use and so the cordage would not be cut by the head's sharp edges. Stone (later steel) chisel were used with hammerstones to make the lashing holes in the rim of the hull. A pump drill was used to bore holes. Drill bits were usually some kind of seashell. Later nails were used as drill bits. Cordage was made from twisted of rolled coconuts fibers. This strong, durable, flexable cordage was used to lash canoe parts together. Cordage was important for the canoe's survival. Lashings that could tightly bind a canoe and hulls, especially when wet, were needed. Coconut sennit cordages cannot be damaged by the sun or the sea unlike other natural cordages. Only a few people were trained to make sennit cords, whichwere difficult to make because it had to be in a very tight braid. Because of the roughness of the fibers, only a certain amount of cordage could be done daily. In the finishing of the canoe, after using the adze to shave, trim and smooth the wood, coral pieces were used to smooth and polish the canoe. Common beach coral, lava crust with a coase rubbing surface, pumice, closed grained coral reef rock, closed grain basalt, and other kind of stones were used in polishing the canoes, much like how planes, files, and sandpaper are used today. The leaf sheaths from the breadfruit tree were used as fine sandpaper. A caulking tool, a flat piece of wood with a pointed and a square end, was used to apply caulking susbstances to the outside lashing holes and to the seams to keep water from entering the canoe. Selecting the Wood The hull was usually made from the tall, large koa tree (Acacia koa), which was foud in abundance in old Hawaii. The wood had to be strong and healthy and be of the right length since the hull was made from a single tree trunk. The best koa forest were found at high elevations, which meant traveling 5 to 25 miles inland from the shore. Hawaiians were very superstitious in whatever they did. They always looked up to the various gods, and the people would not do anything unless the signs were favorable. In canoe building, the Hawaiians would not go into the koa forests until they performed certain ritual and to assure that all omens were good. If the kahua kalai wa'a (master canoe maker) had a dream that had to do with death, he knew that the results would be fatal. If he dreamt of something favorable, that was an excellent sign. If the elepaio bird was not found near the tree that was a good sign. The bird pecking at a koa tree meant that the koa tree was rotten and contained bugs, so the tree was not used. Sometimes, giant logs of Oregon pine appeared on the shores of Hawaii from the Pacific northwest as driftwood. Large logs could serve as entire hulls. The difficulty was getting two pairs of Oregon pine the some size. Sometimes a log was kept for years in hopes that another pine of the same size would appear. Rough Hewing After a good tree was felled, the actions of the elepaio bird would be observed. If the elepadio flew down and darted from one end to the other, The priest would pronounce the tree perfect. Where the bird stood still would be the openung of the canoe. If the bird stood on a certain part of the tree for a long time that somethings was wrong in that one spot. Before the rough hewing (the rough shaping of a canoe), was started, the kahuna kalai wa'a would stand up on the tree trunk, put on his ceremonial malo(loin cloth), and say a prayer over and over until the top of the tree was cut off. This ceremony was important because it blessed the canoe and its owner. The owner was assured that the canoe would be strong and safe to take out to sea. The canoe builders would remain in the forest for months to do the rough hewing of the log. Women were not allowed to come. If they did, it was beleived that the canoe would crack. Hauling the Canoe After rough hewing, the canoe needed to be hauled to the shore. Before the haul, the kahuna kala wa'a performed a ceremony to bless the canoe in the mountains. There was silence as he chanted. If this rule was broken the punishment was death. The kahuna always walked about sixty feet behind the canoe, chanting for the haulers. Sometimes unfinished logs were found aboundoned because they were not abe to be transported to the lowland shores. A forty to seventy foot rough hewn log could weigh thousands of pounds. Sometimes this process took several months. About a hundred men were needed to haul the canoe down the mountain. Finishing the Canoe An important step in canoe making was painting the canoe. This was done to preserve and waterproof the hull of the canoe. Paint was made from the juices from the buds, twigs, and roots of certain plants. It was smeared on by hand or painted with a piece of pandanus root or coconut husk. The Practice Run Another ceremony was held after the canoe had been taken out on a practice run. It could be held either on land or at sea. This ceremony was called lolo ' ana kawa'ai ka halau, whaich means "imparting brains to the canoe." This was an important ceremony because it blessed the canoe and its owner. It was hoped that the ceremony would be satisfying and not disturbed. If it was, the priest would tell the owner not to sail on the canoe. If all went well, the canoe was then launched by its owner. Special foods were prepared for the ceremony. Black pig, a certain red fish, coconuts, sweet potatoes, taro, and in the old days, sometimes a certain kind of dog were prepared and served. The drawing below shows the pig, fish and coconuts prepared for the ceremony. Picture source: R. Burningham. Hawaiian Canoe Building Traditions. Kamehameha Schools, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate Coconuts come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the variety. After the husk is peeled off, you will see a large hard, brown sphere shaped seed. The liquid inside the coconut is a tasty drink. The white meat on the inside tastes very good. The shell is strong and is used for bowls, spoons, as well as for musical instruments. Preserving the Canoe The Hawaiians were careful about how they preserved their canoes. They built lauhala roofed sheds to prevent burning or cracking from the sun. When not in a shed and not in use, it was important to cover the canoe with loose leaves to keep the wood moist. When being stored, it was kept in a wooden cradle made from wiliwili or hala, which provided the canoe support for its bottom. In all ceremonies gods were asked for their blessings. The Hawaiians asked for blessings by the goddesses who guided the floating, righting, and bailing out of the canoes; god of the mountains; forest goddesses who guided the canoe as it was transported from the mountains to the sea; god of canoe builders; god who steadied the canoe as it was carried down steep places; god who journeys in the canoe, and others. The Hawaiians are truly religious and spiritual people. They believed that the land and sea upon which they lived belonged to the gods. The people were just keepers. A Modern Day Departure Ceremony Hawaiiloa Departure Ceremony on February 6, 1995 Article by Grade 6 Student Emily L. Monday, February 6, 1995 was the perfect day for the departure ceremonies to bid farewell to the Hawaiiloa and Hokulea as they set out for Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. The ceremonies were held from 12:00 noon until about 2:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Hawaii Naniloa Hotel in Hilo, Hawaii. All the people who had come to watch formed a half circle with the building as the base. My class was sitting to one side in the sun. Behind all the people you could see the masts of the two canoes. Under a few coconut trees that were in front of us, were about 5 lauhala mats. Near the mats were drums of all sizes and shapes. At 12:00 noon the ceremonies began by the crew members coming out. A pu (shell horn) was sounded and some young men started to beat at the drums near the lauhala mats. A walkway was formed between the audience and the crew walked out. Then after all the crew members had been seated, a group of school children chanted as they gave out maile leis to the crew members. Next came the dancers. First the halau Halau Hula o Kahikilalani danced in ti leaf skirts and kapa tops. After that halau was finished dancing, the Hilo halau, Halau o Kekuhi began their dance. Both of the halaus were extraordinary and they danced wonderfully. The ho¹o kupu (gifts) were given to the crew members next. Many groups of people gave ho¹o kupu including my class. We walked out to the crew members and then we placed our ho¹o kupu in front of them. A group of girls danced a Tahitian dance and some boys accompanied them on Tahitian drums. Hilo High School students chanted as their gift to the crew members. The two and a half hours were joyous ones and the events of the departure ceremony will never be forgotten. My Contribution to the Departure Ceremony: Hookupu Article by Grade 6 student: Sheena K. Our hookupu to the crews of the Hawaiiloa and Hokulea consisted of bananas, oranges, coconut, taro, salt, sugar, and a little ipu wrapped in ti leaves with a special lei of maile entwined. My grandfather, Kahele, gave me some Po¹lolu taro to place in our ho¹okupu. Po¹lolu taro was originally grown in Po¹lolu Valley in Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii. But over the years it has spread out over different areas and to other Hawaiian Islands. Po¹lolu is a wet land taro that is planted in water beds. Po¹lolu taro takes nine months to mature. It is a variety which makes a good quality of poi, whitish in color. The leaves can be used to make Lau Lau or other dishes. The stocks can also be used in soups or cooked with pork dishes. The color of the plants ia more like brownish-grey and the lealves are dark green. And the taro is white with very light yellow segments. The traditional activities of building and paddling canoes are documented in text and twelve color photographs. Canoes were historically built by master craftsmen who oversaw all aspects of the process, from selecting the trees to getting the vessel on the water. Canoes were first made from koa logs (acacia koa), but the tree is very scarce today. Cost and efficiency considerations have dictated the use of fiberglass for the modern canoe hull. Lashing, once done with coconut sennet or vegetable fiber, has given way to nylon cord. Canoes are of two types: the outrigger canoe and the double-hulled canoe. In either case, the hull is always rounded, or U-shaped. Canoes served varying purposes for early Hawaiians. Small canoes were used for traveling around the islands; larger canoes were used for long-distance traveling or for warfare. Fishing was also done with canoes. Additionally, the vessels were used for sports and recreation, and that is their chief use today. Within Hawaii, the sport of outrigger canoe paddling has enjoyed a boom in popularity in the last 25 years, and is practiced by over 10,000 paddlers. In addition to text and photos, the project includes a videotape, Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey, and three audio tapes on the history of Polynesian voyaging; outrigger canoe paddling; and "Mo'olele," a song about pride in the that canoe. Te Wa 31' proa Tarawa 16' proa T2 18' proa Ulua 18' Hawaiian Style Outrigger Wa'apa Three Board Canoe Toroa 18' proa Waan Aelon Kein A 52' Marshallese proa Tangaroa Class 18' Tacking Outrigger Raptor 16 Steering Oars Amas Reading List Proa Links Boatography Of all the types of multihull sailing craft that I've been involved in, the outrigger canoe still holds the greatest fascination for me. While catamarans and trimarans are now common in ocean racing, cruising and charter fleets, the characteristics of the sailing outrigger canoe are still unknown to most sailors. The Micronesian proas always sail with the outrigger on the windward side. This means that the hull is double-ended and reverses direction by shifting the sail to the opposite end. There are many variations throughout the Pacific but the most arresting is the asymmetric hulls used in some parts of Micronesia. The leeward side is almost flat while most of the hull curvature occurs on the windward (outrigger) side. Its primary function is to correct for the off-center drag of the outrigger (ama) and to compensate for weather helm when the boom is eased out. It may also reduce leeway by producing hydrodynamic lift to windward but there are widely varying opinions on this. Polynesians sail both tacking and shunting types. The Ulua is an example of a tacking outrigger. I decided that the only way to get the answers I wanted was to start designing and building as many possible variations as I have time and money for. The 18' Ulua can be purchased in completed form within New Zealand or plans can be ordered for construction in strip composite. Plans for the 24' plywood Wa'apa can be ordered here. Plans for the 18' strip composite T2 can be ordered here. A tutorial on building foam/fiberglass amas can be seen here. Read Tim Anderson's Ulua adventures here. I have an OC1 for sale here. Questions and Comments are Welcome Gary Dierking <<<< Left : 3ft Scale Model of Existing Hawaiian Voyaging Canoe