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The Samoan Paopao
Born in 1877 or thereabouts, Te Rangi Hīroa, aka Sir Peter Henry Buck, was a half-English, half-Maori anthropologist who studied Maori and other Pacific cultures. In his 1930 publication Samoan...
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Bengal Boat Model Exhibit
Model of a sewn-planked, lug-rigged double-ended Bengali boat on display at Tarani Majhir Ghat, Salt Lake Stadium (Photo courtesy Swarap Bhattacharyya. Click to enlarge.)Swarup Bhattacharyya maintains...
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Morgawr, Ferriby 1 Reconstruction, Launched
After a year in construction, Morgawr, a full-size reconstruction of Ferriby 1 has been launched in Cornwall. Discovered in the 1930s by Ted Wright and his brother Will, Ferriby 1 is one of the most...
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The Samoan 'iatolima
Some weeks ago we discussed the Samoan "small canoe," or paopao, drawing from the work of Te Rangi Hiroa. In contrast to the paopao, which was paddle-propelled and used only on calm waters, the larger...
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The Samoan Va'a alo
A va'a alo, from Kava Drinking Ceremonies Among the Samoans And A Boat Voyage round 'Upolu Island, Samoa, S. Percy Smith. Note rows of decorate shells on bow and stern decks. (Click any image to...
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Unidentified Indonesian Canoe
I received this query from Arnon Sheige in the Netherlands. Being unable to answer it myself, I'm throwing it open for reader input, with Arnon's permission. Please contribute any ideas via Comments....
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The Practicality of the Philippine Banca
Beautiful curves on the sheer and outrigger booms on this Philippine banca. The booms are carefully chosen for their curves from the branches of a native thorn tree. Each side of each boom is a single...
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The Newgrange Currach
Reliable reader Wade Tarzia has added a useful comment to an earlier post about coracles, with a review of the 2012 book, The Boyne Currach by Claidhbh O Gibne. (Please don't ask me to pronounce the...
View ArticleDover Bronze Age Boat Replica Built, Not Floating
[Dear readers: I'm sorry about posting so rarely during the past few months. Life's busy, as I'm sure you understand. Here's a quick one just to remind you that I'm here, and a promise to do a more...
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Hawaiian Double Canoes
Two types of boats were prevalent in pre-European-contact Hawaii: the single-outrigger canoe and the twin-hull, or double, canoe. Outrigger canoes were far more numerous, performing most everyday...
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Japanese Tenmasen Under Construction
Model of a Japanese tenmasen workboat. All images courtesy Douglas Brooks (click any image to enlarge.)The Japanese tenmasen is, according to Douglas Brooks, "a typical small cargo boat from the Inland...
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More Tenmasens
My previous post, on the Japanese tenmasen workboat under construction by Douglas Brooks, failed to include any good photos of full-size boats, an omission which I'll correct here. Had I only dug a bit...
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Translatlantic Voyage in a Liberian Dugout Canoe
Hannes Lindemann in 2006, at the age of 84. He holds a copy of Life magazine, which featured him on the cover following his 1956-57 transatlantic solo voyage in a folding kayak. (Click to enlarge.) Dr....
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Ocean Voyages in Folding Kayaks
Hannes Lindemann's 1956-57 solo transatlantic voyage in a folding kayak is justifiably famous among kayak fans. (In our previous post we wrote about Lindemann's lesser-known adventure, in which he...
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Folding Kayaks and "Indigeneity"
Soon after posting the previous article about ocean voyages in folding kayaks, I began questioning its relevance to the larger subject of indigenous boats. Allow me to ramble:While the subhead of this...
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A Catamaran with an Outrigger?
A recent BBC story concerning a possibly marine-related archaeological discovery in Wales reports some off-the-wall speculation about the find's significance. (Before going further, I must acknowledge...
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Ancient (?) Dugout Canoe Found in Florida
AP photo. Click to enlarge.According to an AP article carried by Fox News (among others), a well-preserved dugout canoe was recently recovered from a lake near Ocala, Florida. The article includes...
View ArticleA Personal-Commercial Note to My Readers
Dear Readers,I've been informed by Amazon that my Amazon Associates account will be terminated after Sunday, October 6, along with the accounts of all other Amazon Associates in Maine. This is Amazon's...
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"The Boyne Currach" -- A Review
The Boyne Currach: From beneath the shadows of Newgrange, by Claidhgh (I understand it's pronounced "Clive") O' Gibne has received quite positive reviews. (Here's one, by Wade Tarzia.) I'm disappointed...
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Baffinland Inuit Kayaks, Settlement: Peabody Museum #1
This is the first of several planned posts featuring boat-related displays at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University. This post focuses on a single diorama of a late...
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