Indigenous Boats

A sizable component of a large canoe found in New Zealand gives clues to the type of boats used to settle the islands, which probably occur...

Hokule'a off Oahu. (Photo: Polynesian Voyaging Society ) Hōkūleʻa   is a Hawaiian voyaging canoe in the midst of a multi-year voyag...

Capt. Henry Byam Martin, RN, was stationed in Tahiti in 1846-47, observing the French takeover of the island. Our most recent post looked a...

While stationed in Tahiti in 1846-47, Capt. Henry Byam Martin, RN, made several sketches and paintings of local watercraft. Here are all o...

In 1846, the British Admiralty dispatched HMS Grampus , 50 guns, under command of Capt. Henry Byam Martin, RN, to the Society Islands. The ...

Two types of boats were prevalent in pre-European-contact Hawaii: the single-outrigger canoe and the twin-hull, or double, canoe. Outrigge...

Six traditional double-hull Polynesian voyaging canoes that have been sailing around the Pacific since April entered San Francisco Bay on...

D ozens of rig types have been identified in Austronesian maritime cultures (see this post for an illustration showing a large selection) --...

Hokule'a is without a doubt the most famous Hawaiian double canoe in existence. After a rough start beset by political and personal ...