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Category:

Canoes(1)

Topic:

Canoe Names

Consultant:

Irava

double canoe = 'ahai?
(name of ship today. Origin Ahoy?)
Each 'ahai had its own name.

Large outrigger -- taf'aga.

Small outrigger --täväne.

Small outrigger with sail = karia (said to be a Fijian word).

Category:

Canoes(2)

Topic:

Parts of Canoe

Consultant:

Undisclosed

• stem head - Moa inside dugout lalanga
• bow head - Moa ulei taf'aga ne vaka
• Vaka tavan - small outrigger
• bow - Tau mua ne vaka
• outrigger arm - kiata
• outrigger wood - hau
• 2 outrigger spring - tari
• stone axe edge - vairani
• stem - tau muri
• outrigger - sama
• cord - unu
• anchor - favi
• wood - sa'a ulu
• dugout body - for ne vaka
• inside dugout - lalaga ne vaka
• bowhead of large outrigger - tafa'aga

Category:

Canoes(3)

Topic:

Taf'aga

Consultant:

Isimeli

keelpiece	Fua
Sideboards	Rorara 2
Bowpiece	Perafoua
Sternpiece	Tamakfonu
Upper side boards	Roa 2
Upper end pieces	Puka 2
Inside post supports	Tuakai
Stern	Taumuri
Bow	Taumur
Outrigger Boom	Keata
Outrigger	Sama
Outrigger Brace	Parsama

Category:

Canoes(4)

Topic:

'Ahai

Consultant:

Niua

The name 'ahai is said by some to be Rotuman and by others to be the European word ahoy. There is some reason to think that it is Rotuman, for there is no other name for their large voyaging canoe which some old men even remember. The name of it would not die out so quickly. They also can distinguish this canoe from a smaller double canoe by name. There is also the small island behind Uea which is called Haf 'Ahai because of its similarity to a voyaging canoe on the horizon. There is one palm growing in the center of it, which looks like the mast on a very low lying or flat boat. The appearance is much more like that of a masted canoe than any schooner or other European sailing craft.

Schooners of two masts were distinguished by the name te pou rua, or two masted 'ahai.

Category:

Canoes(5)

Topic:

'Ahai

Consultant:

Niua

These were the largest double canoes, but the native name seems to be forgotten. There probably has not been one on the island for at least 60 years. No one remembers seeing one.

The canoes were plank canoes, some of 5-6 planks to a side according to the size of the tree. A canoe was almost as high as a man, 5-5 1/2 feet.

It carried a deck and deck house, mast, guyed by a rope of the vine, faga fea.

Category:

Canoes(6)

Topic:

Täväne

Consultant:

Varomua

The täväne is made with the fore outrigger boom shorter than the aft one so that the canoe will steer more easily. This gives it an appearance of toeing in when it is looked at from above.

The stern is the wider part of the canoe because of the narrowness of the whole canoe for a man of any size to sit in and because it handles more easily.

Most canoes have the outrigger on the left side though this is only an observation on my part.

Category:

Canoes(7)

Topic:

Samtutuki

Consultant:

Niua

Made of two vakas which might or might not have raised sides. They were joined by three crosspieces (kiata) tied to the canoes. On these were laid many small pieces called pupui or the floor. There was no house on the deck. The mast = pou was set on it and guyed - with unu ropes--to the canoes. The sail = läe was a mat and shaped like the one on the Fijian canoes. Hosi = steering oar, worked on the right hand side of the canoe.

Category:

Canoes(8)

Topic:

Bindings

Consultant:

Niua

Sumi - binding of outrigger arm to canoe hulk. Named after sumi fish and used also in houses.

Across twice diagonally and across twice other diagonal. Strands close together, then across twice, first diagonal strands on either side of first pair. Then same for other diagonal. Repeated each time laying strands on outside of last. Bound around between arm and canoe edge three times and then strand run to other side of canoe for next binding.

Old type canoe binding. No name but real type. Diagonal crossing of arm through 2 holes in vaka underneath. Diagonals start inside and work out rather than bring one on top of the other.

The vertical binding type is not old. Arm supported tari over sama, in center, called tu'uki. Only used for brittle board. Canoe tied in center.

Bend of outrigger to arm and tari is a diagonal binding from hole in outrigger around arm, and tari and back to outrigger twice and then these strands bound around.

Sometimes tu tuki used and bound to tari, sometimes and more often a center vertical binding around tari and thru hole in sama.

Bindings	Coconut Unu	Tari - also name of binding
Hole in Samoa and Vaka		Palaga - any hole

Diagrams in original notes

Category:

Canoes(9)

Topic:

Bowpieces

Consultant:

Undisclosed

Bowpieces have a prow remnant at bow 15 knots on deck - center truncated form. The Deck is raised or tapers up to line of the knots. Behind the knots is upper deck with a broad triangular front but a blunt end. The latter half of this is cut open for the well of the boat.

The rear end of the bowpiece tapers to join the end of the upper plank.

Diagrams in original notes

Category:

Canoes(10)

Topic:

Paddles

Consultant:

Niua

Hosi. 1 piece of wood chopped out. 4 1/2-5 feet long, blade 2-2'4". Flat on one side with the handle running along side, and rounded on the other side, handle not showing 8-10" wide.

Diagrams in original notes

Category:

Canoes(11)

Topic:

Paint

Consultant:

Tafaka (from Salvaka)

The root of the pandanus, ura, is pressed with water and then mixed with lime to make a marking paint for carpenters. It is used on the edges of planks to see if they fit closely before lashing them on to the canoe.

Caulking gum.
The sap of the breadfruit is often used, but a better substance is the seed taken from a nearly ripe pipi fruit. This is pressed in the hand until it makes a red watery mass, and then inserted in the seams where it hardens, and holds firmly. This is a late discovery or learned from some other islanders, as it is known that the earliest canoes did not have it.

Category:

Canoes(12)

Topic:

Construction

Consultant:

Niua

Bow and stern ornament were called moa. There was no intended difference between bow and stern. Canoe stern at trunk end. Broader for seat and easier to paddle.

Greatest width about between middle of sides. Center of tree runs through center of canoe. Tops come in to keep out water.

Vaka wood-	Ratau tree	Vaka
Paddle wood	Penau	Hosi
Arms	Hau	Kiata
Outrigger	Hau	Sama
Outrigger support	Bamboo or Hau - any stiff straight piece	Tari

'Ahai
Which vary in size from 1/2" to 4-5" in diameter. Used today in binding parts of houses. See ri hapa and ri sipaki.

These canoes carried from 60-100 people and traveled to Fiji, Futuna and Sufaia [sic] in the Ellice. Gofe was a famous captain of the last Oinafa 'ahai. Planks of this boat are still in Oinafa.

photo of ri sipaki

Category:

Canoes(13)

Topic:

Construction

Consultant:

C.Jacobson

When they were about to carve out a canoe, a tree was cut down and the keel was first cut out, and then they would prepare a feast or kava to bless the boat, so that the boat could be completed successfully and would not be wrecked later.

Category:

Canoes(14)

Topic:

Voyages

Consultants:

Vakatua and Sanpati

One 'ahai set out and sailed many days without sighting land and then returned. All the other canoes Sunpoti knew of never returned. There was a man named Puirua, half-Tongan half-Fijian, who made several trips from Tonga to Rotuma and back. Konau sailed with a hundred men to Merikeno, an island to the west. This is probably the voyage Rosiama speaks of when she said Konau went to New Guinea. Another account of Konau says he went to Fiji, but this is incorrect.

Varomua sailed to Lambasa where there are Rotuman descendants to-day.

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