Canoeing News Across the South Pacific

Two great articles about traditional canoes journeying across the South Pacific.

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TAHITI VOYAGING CANOE ARRIVES IN COOK ISLANDS

TAHITI VOYAGING CANOE ARRIVES IN COOK ISLANDS
‘O Tahiti Nui Freedom’ bound for China

PAPEÉTE, Tahiti - The "O Tahiti Nui Freedom" outrigger canoe arrived Monday morning in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. But some repairs are already necessary.

The "O Tahiti Nui Freedom" outrigger canoe left Tahiti July 27 headed for China.

The outrigger canoe and the crew had to face strong winds and rough seas over the last days.

Some major repairs are now needed and "O Tahiti Nui Freedom" is today stranded in the Cook Islands.

But "O Tahiti Nui Freedom" Captain Hiria Ottino is confident the outrigger canoe will eventually be repaired in just a matter of days.

The outrigger canoe is to sail to Shanghai, China, and the crew hopes to arrive before the end of the World Exposition.

Ottino claimed last week only 78 days of sailing will be necessary to reach Shanghai.

French Polynesia Assembly Speaker and Faa’a mayor Oscar Temaru supports the project.

"O Tahiti Nui Freedom" is inspired by drawings of traditional Tahitian canoes made by Admiral Paris in 1820.

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VANUATU SAILORS RETURN FROM EPIC VOYAGE

VANUATU SAILORS RETURN FROM EPIC VOYAGE
Five travel 6,000 miles in voyaging canoe

PORT VILA Vanuatu - Local Ni Vanuatu sailors Kalo Nathanael, Willie Peter, Kaltoban Nombong, Thomson Enrel, and Jonywell Ennis this week returned home to Uliveo island South East Malekula having completed a 6,000 nautical miles odyssey sailing a 72 foot traditional double hull saelkenu around the Pacific Ocean.

They sailed from NZ Aotearoa on 18th April after having first been chosen to become the core crew for training other Pacific sailors aboard a fleet of 5 traditional waka. Since September 2009 the men have been training in Auckland New Zealand for this arduous voyage.

Their vessel is called HINE MOANA or woman of the sea. The purpose of the voyage was to recreate traditional voyaging while at the same time create an awareness of the damage being done to the Pacific by climate change and pollution.

The voyagers motto is " move your paddle silently through the water". Funding has been through Okeanos, a German based environmental organisation.

Their first port of call was Raivavae Island, in the Australs Group some 500 miles south of Tahiti and 3000 miles east from Vanuatu. Later they visited Moorea, Raiatea, Papeete, Rarotonga, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

At each island huge welcoming ceremonies were given in their honour with local dignitaries, Prime Ministers, Presidents, Chiefs and other VIP’s in attendance. At each ceremony one of the Ni Vanuatu gave a speech honouring the island and reminding them of the long history of ocean voyaging of which Vanuatu people are so proud.

Their voyage was an epic tale of 50 knot gales , 10 metre seas, laughter , fear, huge fish, dolphins, whales, killer whales, great parties , elaborate feasts, huge welcoming ceremonies, VIP’s and lots of dancing . Along the way they were blessed by the sacred waters of Moorea, laid a sacred Mauri stone from Taputapuatea marae in Raiatea at the marae of the same name in Rarotonga on behalf of the people of Vanuatu, visited the ancient Fare Haape marae in Tahiti nui, visited Sinalei in Samoa where the Tsunami laid waste to the area just a year ago and paid tribute to those who lost their lives there.

Other sailors included men and women from Tahiti, Marquesa Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Tonga, Cook Islands , Samoa, Fiji and Maori from Aotearoa.

The Fijians were the only other Melanesian sailors.

Kaltoban Nombong said " It was a great honour to be invited on this project and an even greater honour to be selected to help in whale research and sail to Hawaii next year."

The canoes themselves are based on a Cook Island design (Tom Davis- former premier of the Cook Islands) which in turn was taken from the ancient Tipairua from a Tuamotu Atoll (Fakarava) near Tahiti. Built brand new in Auckland and launched 2009 the canoes are two equal hulls 72 feet long 20 ft wide, 13 tonne, crab claw and Bermudan rig and sleep 16 . They have electric propulsion and giant solar panels recharge the electric batteries.

They are a mix of the traditional and the state of the art . In a beam reach they will sail at 10 knots average and the top speed recorded was 19 knots.

Three support craft shadowed the canoes including Ranui a well known visitor to Vanuatu shores with Richard Allen as Captain who also introduced the ni vanuatu to the project and who started the Maskelyne sailing school from where these men are graduates. Evohe (82 feet) and Foftein (109 ft) were the other 2 safety vessels.

The fleet of 5 waka representing Tahiti, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Zealand, Cook Islands, sailing from Moorea to Raiatea in French Polynesia