Sailors to retrace ancient Pacific voyage
09 Apr 2010
A fleet of traditional vaka canoes will leave New Zealand next week to sail across the Pacific, re-enacting one of the world’s greatest migrations.
Four twin-hulled canoes that have been built in New Zealand will sail from Auckland to meet a Tahitian-crewed vaka, before the fleet moves on to French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.
Hine Moana - the last of the four canoes - was launched yesterday (7.04.2010) in Auckland. It is due to undergo some final work before the craft and crews embark on their long ocean passage.
Traditional design
The vaka, which carry a crew of up to 16, are based on a traditional Tahitian design, and successfully blending modern technology with traditional craftsmanship has been a challenge for designers.
The hulls have been made from E-Glass and foam lashed together using wooden beams and rope. They utilise a combination of traditional flax sails, and modern sails including gennakers built by North Sails.
While the eco-friendly vaka mostly rely on wind, solar panels feed an electric engine to provide auxiliary propulsion. The solar power system aids harbour entries and also allows the vaka to travel at speeds of 2.5km/h which will help with navigating the doldrums.
Pacific voyaging
Pacific voyaging societies across the region are sailing the traditional canoes and re-enacting their ancestors’ famous voyage using ancient seafaring skills to help regenerate Polynesia’s ancestral traditions.
They say they want to raise awareness of environmental issues threatening the Pacific, including climate change, over-fishing, habitat destruction, acidification and pollution.
Pacific cultures reconnect
Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, of New Zealand tertiary institute Te Wananga o Aotearoa, said the voyage was about Pacific cultures reconnecting with one another and young people rediscovering ocean-going traditions.
"The experiences that these waka offer are the kinds of rites of passage that have all-but disappeared.
"There's nothing like being out on the water to learn about the ocean, to reconnect us to the environment, to our tupuna like Tangaroa [God of the Sea] and Tawhirimatea [God of Weather]."
That Polynesians colonised the Pacific with Māori ending up here never failed to fire his imagination, Mr Barclay-Kerr said.
"We're heading the other way. For us it's the beginning of new stories that we'll be able to tell our grandchildren."
The four vaka will take part in a regatta at Motuihe Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, before leaving Auckland on Wednesday (14.04.2010).
Pacific Voyaging Canoes project and vaka
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