Wa'a (canoe)
- germainesqr
- May 31, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 12, 2022
This wa'a or canoe on the Germaine's Luau grounds, was previously used for fishing at
Barbers Point Beach, by one of the workers years ago.
History of Waʻa
The history of the wa'a or outrigger canoes started in 200AD. Polynesian explorers found the island through navigating the stars and migrating birds. On the canoes they brought plants, food, and water from the Polynesian islands.
Today, canoes look and are made different. Traditionally, they were made out of koa wood. Koa wood canoes are rare to come by because of the scarce koa, and there are not many canoe craftsmen that still have the skill to create koa canoes. The canoes are mostly made out of glass reinforced plastic or carbon fiber reinforced plastic. These materials are lighter and make it easier for paddlers.
As seen in the picture above, the wa'a is made up of many different parts all serving an individual purpose. The shape of the hull is designed to be able to cut or glide through waves and the wind. The 'iako not only connects the ama to the hull, but provides a balance for the wa'a when it floats in the water. Compared to the wa'a at Germaine's, this canoe has the traditional six seats. Nowadays, you are able to find one-man or two-man canoes.
History of the Hawaiian Wa'a
Hawaiian culture is full of ancient rituals and traditions. Many of the traditional customs and rituals are still recognized and followed today. The outrigger canoe, or wa'a, was at the heart of Hawaiian culture until a little more than a century ago. Food, news from distant regions, defense, and leisure were all provided through the wa'a. To put it another way, without them, the Hawaiian people would have been extinct.
The wa'a became essential to the Hawaiian people that each wa'a was regarded as if it were a member of their 'ohana. The inoa (name) given to the wa'a was equally important. The same thoughtfulness that goes into naming a kid went into naming a wa'a.
We know from historical evidence that the Polynesian ancestors were among the top open-sea navigators in the globe a few thousand years ago. In fact, around the time of Jesus Christ of Nazareth's birth, Polynesian ancestors had already traveled nearly ten million square miles of the southern portion of the world's largest body of water, the Pacific Ocean, with sailing canoes. Europeans, on the other hand, had not yet learned the navigational abilities necessary to sail their boats beyond the sight of land at this period in history.
The major portion of nā wa'a kino (canoe hulls) were constructed from Koa trees, and their ama (outriggers) were made from wiliwili-pua, and the nā 'iako (booms) were made from the hau tree in the past (sea hibiscus). All of these parts were connected by aha (sennet made from coconut fiber) that was braided into flat cord. Everything, to the Hawaiians, had mana (a living spirit or super natural energy). The Hawaiian ancestors believed that when a koa tree died, it took on a new life as a continuing spirit known as lā'au mana. When blessing a canoe, we begin by seeking forgiveness for taking the life of the koa tree from which the wa'a was carved. We also want to express our gratitude to the forest where the tree grew for enabling us to give its child a new life as a wa'a. We honor this wa'a because it is a gift from Aku (God).
Parts Of The Hawaiian Canoe
‘aha (braided or twisted cord used in lashing the canoe)
ama (float/ outrigger)
‘iako (spars, boom)
lupe (bow end of ama)
kanaka (stern end of ama)
kuamo‘o (hull, keel)
manu hope (stern end piece)
manu ihu (bow end piece)
mo‘o (gunwale)
nohona (Seat)
pale kai (splash board)
wae (spreaders)
wa‘a (canoe)
Momoa (Nohona wa‘a ‘ehiku – where your personal Aumakua sits)
History of the Hawaiian Hoe
The hoe (paddle) in Hawaii has a similar background to the wa'a. The ancient Hawaiian hoe, like the Hawaiian wa'a, lacked the ornamentation present on other Polynesian islands' paddles. The Hawaiian hoe was mostly made of koa wood and was simply utilitarian. Hoe nanue/nenue is a Hawaiian paddle with a long broad oval shaped blade named after a huge fish found in Hawaiian waters. Long, thick shafts with wide oval blades were uncommon on other Polynesian islands. Such paddles are thought to have been required to drive hefty koa canoes through rough water.
Until 1979, the hoe nenue was supposed to be the only type of Hawaiian paddle. Historians discovered an intriguing paddle in a cave near Kiholo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, north of Kailua Kona: a long, thin paddle with an oval blade, exactly opposite the hoe nenue. The hoe kala (which means "to remove" or "to release") is a lighter and easier-to-paddle version of the hoe nenue. Historians disagree on whether it was employed in message canoes, racing, or battles.
The hoe oeoe is another paddle with comparable characteristics to the hoe kala. The long, narrow blades of the hoe kala and hoe oeoe made them more lighter and smoother to paddle than the hoe nenue. From the point on the blade to the top of the shaft, most of these paddles, regardless of style, were roughly 4 to 5 feet long.
The relationship between the paddle maker and the owner was generally special. This was especially true in the case of the steering paddle. People in ancient Hawai'i used to call their paddles by inoa (name). Because your paddle played such a crucial role in your safety at sea, it was also customary in ancient Hawai'i to ho'omaika'i (bless) it.
Most Hawai'i nei paddles were hand-shaped from a single piece of wood, usually Koa, until the early 1900s. Other woods, such as hau, 'ahakea, kāwa'u, naio, and breadfruit, were occasionally used to make Hawaiian hoes, but koa was the most common.
In the 1940s, George Downing and Wally Froiseth began experimenting with paddle designs and sizes. Paddles went from being lengthy and heavy to becoming short and light. They were not built from a single piece of wood, but rather from multiple laminated parts. Paddle blades gradually evolved into pears and teardrops, rather than just large ovals. Paddles today are still approximately 5 feet long on average, with narrow, thin blades, and weigh less than a pound. In fact, some modern paddles are constructed of high-tech man-made materials like carbon fiber.
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