Canoe Anatomy

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.

Anatomy of waʻa kaukahi

Functions:

• Kia (Mast): The center pole to which the sail is rigged. It is steady and not meant to be moved. Some waʻa have collapsible Mast rigs.
• Paepae (Boom): The beam that the sail rigs to which is used to hold sail tension and positioned to access the wind. It is rigged as a loose beam to be moved.
• Lā/Peʻa (Sail): A triangular shaped canvas that is stretched between the mast and boom to capture the wind and propel the waʻa. Canvas shape, color, size, and material may vary but the same polynesian principles apply.
• Manu ihu/hope: Front and aft upright pieces at the ends of the canoe are instrumental in "holding the line" for the steersmen.
• Noho/Nohona (Seat): Keeps the paddler propped up with thighs to hips at the rails of the canoe. The seat usually has space underneath and leaves the hull almost completely empty and hollow throughout for buoyancy, but some vessels have compartments under a few select seats.
• Kuamoʻo/Kino (Hull): The body of the canoe. A standard 6man outrigger has 6 seats and is ~30-35ft long, upwards of 400lbs. They can be made of fiberglass (usually), wood, or carbon fiber. A good hull can mean the difference between a crews speed, huli recovery, damage resistance and seasonal longevity.
• Ama (Outrigger float): An ama acts as a weight distributor; balancing weight between the canoe and its paddlers as well as counter-balancing the canoe to the ocean. It is an institutional part of the waʻa that is very specific to Polynesian canoes. The material usually mimics the canoe i.e. wooden hull/ama, fiberglass hull/ama.
• ʻIako (Outrigger boom): Carefully rigged boom from canoe hull to ama at seats 3 and 4. The riggings are so intricate, many people have stylized lashings according to hui or crew. The rig is also commonly secured with bicycle tire rubber tubing. (A very valuable tool to paddlers)

This is an example of a Kaulua or Double hulled canoe. They vary slightly from the kaukahi but the anatomy is the same, this example is just more detailed. I will list the other functions below this image.

Anatomy of waʻa Kaulua

• Lei Hulu (Telltale/Relative wind indicator): The name is self-explanitory, it is a small attachment at the top of the Paepae (sail boom) to show the wind direction and to access points of sail. The hawaiian "Lei hulu" is literal to how its made, by stringing together feathers.
• Lāʻau ihu/hope: Side pieces of the Manu, acts almost like a splash guard.
• Kaupoʻi (Median cover): Covers over the hull to reduce excess water from getting into the hull, also keeps the manu hollow for storage and buoyancy during a huli.
• Moʻo (Gunwale): Rails or rail covers, may act as splash guards or to increase the integrity of the deck.
• Wae (Spreader): Holds the canoe at a U or V shaped angle making it easier for lashings the ʻiako and maybe enforcing the hull.
• Pola (Deck): A net mesh that lies taute between ʻiakos. The pola is usually located between the ama and canoe (on a kaukahi) but here it shows the pola between the hulls. Pola can be any kind of material, length, shape etc. It is used for the person manning the sheet to transfer weight across the canoe and hold the sail at the optimal position. Others may sit on the pola to help the weight distribution, to fish, change positions, eat, etc.