Chasing Canoes

Canoe Anatomy To recap last weeks post: I joined a Polynesian Voyaging Class at Windward community college where we sail a 6-man outrigger canoe out of Kualoa. We learn everything instrumental to voyaging from a Polynesian perspective, meaning without any western instruments. Today we learned the names of the parts of the canoe and their function. I was particularly happy to get a more intimate scope on the waʻa. More than a vessel; it is a glue, a cement. The waʻa bonds us to each other as well as everything around us and everything before and after us. The parts of the canoe may as well be parts of yourself. Learning their functions is as imperative as learning who you are. As parts of the canoe are itʻs identity, the canoe becomes part of ours; such true understanding of each other is reflected in the voyager and the sail. Here is a general example of a waʻa kaukahi and the names of each main part in Hawaiian and English. I will briefly list what they are below the image. ...

Polynesian Voyaging Science 160 Lab Manu ihu 'O Ho'omana'o ka hulina alo i waho Kualoa Windward Community College offers a Polynesian voyaging class every other year in conjunction with a surf science class for Hawaiian Studies science credit.       This class began with an idea suggested by Pinky Thompson, Nainoa Thompsonʻs father, to the WCC Chancellor and board, which led to the first full fledged traditional Polynesian voyaging college course that produced many of the first Hokuleʻa crew members. The class was taught by Nainoa Thompson and it was considered a very rigorous and prestigious class at the time it was popular because of the resurgence of Hawaiian culture and practices, known as the Hawaiian renaissance. Students were required to swim 500 yards and tread 30 minutes off of Port Lock, they had to remember every star sign to itʻs degree and declination. WCC gave the class grant money to support the heavy class load and it was used to buy three s...