Everything about The Outrigger Canoe totally explained
The
outrigger canoe (
Tagalog and
Indonesian:
bangka;
Maori:
waka ama;
Hawaiian:
waʻa;
Tahitian:
vaʻa) is a type of
canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as
outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main
hull. Smaller canoes often employ a single outrigger on the
port side, while larger canoes may employ a single outrigger, double outrigger, or double hull configuration. The
sailing canoes are an important part of the Polynesian heritage and are actively raced and sailed in Hawaii and Tahiti.
Using an outrigger or double hull configuration greatly increases the stability of the canoe, but introduces much less hydrodynamic inefficiency than making a single hull canoe wider. Compared to other types of canoes, outrigger canoes can be quite fast, yet also capable of being paddled in rougher water.
The outrigger float is called the
ama in many Polynesian languages; the spars connecting the ama to the main hull (or the two hulls in a double hull canoe) are called
ʻiako in Hawaiian and
kiato in Maori (with similar words in other Polynesian languages).
History
Outrigger canoes were originally developed by the
Austronesian speaking peoples of the islands of
Southeast Asia for sea travel, and were used to transport these peoples both eastward through to
Polynesia and
New Zealand and westward across the
Indian Ocean as far as
Madagascar during the
Austronesian migration period. Even today, it's exclusively among the Austronesian groups (
Malay,
Micronesian,
Melanesian and
Polynesian peoples) that outrigger canoes are used.
When
Magellan's ships first encountered the
Chamorros of the
Mariana Islands in 1521,
Antonio Pigafetta recorded that the Chamorros' sailboats far surpassed Magellan's in speed and maneuverability. In fact, the
Micronesian sailing canoe, the
proa, was the fastest sailing vessel in existence well into the 20th century.
The
Polynesian Voyaging Society has two double hull sailing canoes,
Hokuleʻa and
Hawaiʻiloa, and sails them between various islands in the Pacific using traditional Polynesian navigation methods without instruments.
The technology has persisted into the modern age. Outrigger canoes can be quite large
fishing or transport vessels, and in the
Philippines, outrigger canoes (called "bangka or "banca") are often fitted with
gasoline engines.
Modern sport use
Outrigger canoe racing has become a popular
canoeing sport, with numerous clubs located around the world.
Six person outrigger canoes (or OC6) are among the most common used for sport use; single person outrigger canoes (or OC1) are also very common. Two and four person outrigger canoes are also sometimes used, and two six person outrigger canoes are sometimes rigged together like a catamaran to form a twelve person double canoe.
Modern OC6 hulls and amas are commonly made from
fiberglass. However, some canoes are made of more traditional materials, such as being carved from
koa tree logs in Hawaii. The ʻiako are usually made of wood; the ʻiako-ama and ʻiako-hull connections are typically done with rope wrapped and tied in interlocking fashion to reduce the risk of the connection coming completely apart if the rope breaks.
Modern OC1 hulls and amas are commonly made from
fiberglass,
carbon fiber, and/or
Kevlar to produce a strong but light canoe. OC1 are often made with rudders operated by foot pedals. More traditional designs don't have rudders. OC1 commonly use ʻiako made of aluminum, with a mechanism for quickly assembling and disassembling the canoe (snap buttons, large wing nuts, etc.).
Further Information
Get more info on 'Outrigger Canoe'.
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