Traditional Polynesian Voyaging Canoes

June 22, 2010

In 1777 James Cook happened upon Tonga. A Tongan voyaging canoe was sighted with lateen sails that hung on moveable masts. These sails were of the Fijian style.

Now in 2010 three modern Polynesian voyaging canoes with lateen sails arrive in Tonga from the Cook Islands, still carrying through with tradition. A German sponsored the building of these boats, the recruiting and training of the crew, and cost of the voyages themselves--all in the name of keeping the Polynesian skills of sailing by the sun and stars and swell and current alive. True these double canoes have small engines and GPS, but the engines are used just for getting in and out of ports.

The route of these vessels over the last few months has been: Fiji to NZ (where they encountered 50-knot winds) to Tahiti to Cook Islands to Samoa to Tonga. It is an exciting day. And we pull up anchor in Port Maurelle to hurry into Nieafu to see them arrive.

We round the northern point of Kapa and see them pulling away from the Tongan Beach Resort where they spent the night. My camera is ready as they raise their beautiful red-with-black-design sails and let the light breeze carry them toward Neiafu. They sail right by us and give us the thumbs up. Snap, snap, snap, snap I record these images.


Traditional Polynesian double canoe sailing into Neiafu.


Traditional Polynesian canoes sailing into Neiafu.

They tack into Nieafu under sail and tie up at the wharf. The people of Nieafu have turned out to welcome them. They are lined up on the wharf and others sit on mats under a shade canopy with musical instruments, ready to pay tribute to the voyager's arrival.

But before they disembark, they pack sails away and give some speeches to the crowd from their canoes. Then each group on board sing a song in their native language. They represent: Tahiti, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, and NZ.

I especially enjoyed the song by the Vanuatans, who are Melanesian and quite dark in colour. There were four of them. One played the guitar. They wore bright red shirts with big wide-brim straw hats. They sang about "transporting" across the sea and that they came from different countries, but were all one on this journey. It was really touching. And their wide smiles of accomplishment won the hearts of onlookers.

The Vanuatuans are very poor compared, say, to the Tahitians who are subsidized by the French. But they all did this trip together on these amazing boats. You would have loved seeing them.

After the songs, they all sit cross-legged on the deck of one of the double canoes and do an amazing chant and knee and hand clapping rhythm with voices joining in a call and response exercise.

Some Tongans with connections to the voyagers, and a group of the sweetest little school children get to go on board the double canoes. It is picture taking time. And after many smiles and high fives and laughs the voyagers disembarked in a single line.

The Tongans stand by welcoming each one with a flower lei. And they then proceed to partake in the welcome and kava drinking ceremony.

Here are some pictures to remember the moment of joyful accomplishment by.


One of the traditional Polynesian double canoes as just arrived alongside the wharf in Neiafu, Vava'u from Roratonga, the Cook Islands.


Representatives from Tahiti and one other island bring down the sails.


The Tongan representative is a woman. Tonga Tonga Tonga IO. IO means YES!


The graphic designs on the sails are absolutely beautiful.


A Fijian and a Samoan bring down the sails.


This seaman has the most intricate of tattoos. He is from Samoa, but does not look like a typical Samoan.


I took a lot of pictures of this cool cat non-typical Samoan.


This is Thompson, whom we later met. He is from Vanuatu.


A Fijian crew person is not camera shy at all.


Good on you mates they seem to say!


The personification of wisdom and experience.


Doing the knee-hand rhythm exercise on deck. See the Tongan, Vanuatan, and French flags.


Sweet Rasta man from Fiji, with a Vanuatan in the background.


Crew and Tongan kiddies gather for a photograph.


A Vanuatan steps ashore and is given a lei of welcome by a Tongan.


Another crewman wears a welcome lei as he steps ashore onto Tongan ground.

After all the celebration, the double canoes moved to tie up at the little dock below the Paradise hotel, where we were anchored. One night when we were returning to our dinghy, two of the Vanuatan crew, Thompson and Johnny, talked to us about their journey. They said one boat will leave to return to Fiji in a few days. And in time the other two will follow. Once in Fiji, they will then start recruiting young men and women for crew positions for future voyages, keeping the Polynesian sailing skills and style alive for many years to come.

Early the next morning we heard the call and response chant going on between two of the voyaging canoes. Crew people lined up on deck facing those on the canoe that was leaving for Fiji. The lines were untied and the departing canoe drifted away, all the time voices in song echoed across the waters. This is how they say goodbye—in the form of song.

The red sails were hoisted and away it sailed through the moored boats of Neiafu out into the Pacific Ocean bound for Fiji. What a thrilling time they have had.


A close up of the last remaining double canoe in Tonga. The little semi-circle ‘house’ on deck is the cooking facilities. Behind it is the washroom.


See the shape of the double canoes stern.


The tiller is long and adorned with beautiful rope work.


The rudder.


A double canoe departs for Fiji. See the lineup of crew facing each other to say goodbye in song.


Away she sails out of Neiafu, bound for Fiji to complete the voyage.