Outrigger Canoe

Object/Artifact

-

El Camino College Anthropology Museum

Name/Title

Outrigger Canoe

Entry/Object ID

E-228

Description

A model of a 'walap' outrigger canoe made with dark brown hardwood. The sail is made out of woven pandanas (a tropical plant with long, blade like leaves). It has feather details at the top of the center mast and at the end of the boom. Lines are made of natural fibers. The boat bears labels with the numbers "L35.178A" on the underside and "L35.1.78C" on the stern ornament, while the main sail is warped and the tie securing it to the main hull is slightly to long, causing it to swing when handled. The "ama" (the float attached to the main hull) is also slightly loose on the "iako" (the three poles that attach the ama to the main hull) The main bow ornament is missing, causing a nail to protrude on one end, and a few of the ties securing the sail to the mast have either snapped or come loose.

Context

Separated by thousands of miles of vast ocean, the Austronesian peoples developed various sailing vessels to get them, and any goods they were carrying, safely across the waters. As both curiosity and necessity demanded extended sea voyages, so ancient fabricators tasked themselves with numerous structural construction and design variations to meet the operational requirements of their fleet. One of these vessels was the outrigger canoe, which can come in smaller or larger variations depending on their purpose.

Collection

El Camino College Anthropology Museum

Category

Ethnography

Acquisition

Accession

77.1.1

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Region

Micronesia

Continent

Oceania

Culture/Tribe

Marshall Islands

Dimensions

Height

53 cm

Width

39 cm

Length

44 cm

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Notes

Originally received with broken strings and minor damage, it was originally repaired by Lani Schiro in an undocumented year. Later, repairs were done by Amanda Knight in March 2014. All twine was replaced with dyed hemp. The stern ornament had to be glued on, while the bow ornament is missing, causing the nail to protrude. Hull is scratched and the finish is worn off in patches and it seems to have been chemically removed near the deck.

Web Links and URLs

Walap Outrigger Canoe