Marshallese Canoes

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Marshallese Canoes!

Form

The flattened lee side of the hull and it's asymmetrical main hull create lift as it moves forward which gets rid of the need for a deep keel or centerboard. (Life in The Republic of the Marshall Islands)

The lee platform allows more cargo to be carried

The pivoting mask allows the canoe to sail forward with either end

Components

Materials

Construction

The End!

Function

Meaning

-used for travel and fishing, both in lagoons and open sea.

• the sea binds the people together even though they're apart because of it

-original Martialese navigators were forced to travel from island to island for food.

-functioning works of art

• still used for shing and travel.

Three varieties of Canoe, or Wa...

Kõrkõr

Walap

Tipñol

-There has been no change in design

in the past century

a-symmetric haul

• outside of haul almost flat where outrigger side is almost rounded
• allows the vessle to sail very close to the wind

double fronted haul and sail

• make it possible to keep outrigger to the windward side when changing direction, regardless of what direction by moving sail from one end of the the canoe to the other.

shock absorbent system

• allows outrigger flow to move independently from the main haul, which improves glide and efficiency

Small (12-18 ft)

Medium (20-30 ft)

Large (100 ft)

Could carry 1-2 people

Mejanij “eyes of god”

• Center of the canoe, watches over the entire canoe

Ekkwal

• Twisted coconut line latched to the center of the canoe

Jouj “kindness”

• Bottom section of the canoe, which is usually built first

Carries the heavy loads and the other

• parts are usually built on top of it

booms, or rojak

• upper boom- rojak maan
• lower boom- rojak kara

lem, or bailer,

• without the lem to bail out the water, the ship will sink

iep

• land that is tied to the lower sail boom to gather wind and move the canoe

wujla, sail

• prepares the canoe for the direcion the sailers would like to travel

ubonwon

• plank, supports the side of the platformt that holds the mast up, as well as passengers and cargo

kodo

• supports the outerly platform

jojo

• acts as a shock absorber

ae

• always at the level of the current of the ocean, ae remains constant

Could carry 50 people

Could carry 10 people

Fishing

Used in lagoons as well in the open sea

*Prestige in the Marshall Islands is measured on land ownership and is the foundation of Marshallese culture and identity. If that is the case, canoes are its heart and soul.

*99% of the island nation is water therefore the people are so skilled in the art of canoe building that their technology was considered 2,000 years ahead of its’ time.

*The sea binds and separates the people

Functional Works of Art

1st Asymmetric hull- outside hill or outrigger

2nd Double Fronted Hull and lat sail. This enables the sail to stay windward when changing any direction.

3rd Shock Abortion system- Jojo or Flying fish

Cultural Symbols

3 dimensions

Inter-atoll canoes

Travel within lagoon

Fast transportation and fishing

Races

Very sophisticated construction

It is said that in the Marshall Islands "Houses, fish traps, canoes, all [are] built in certain ways. The techniques used, the choice of materials, the designs,the specific details were tested and tried and used again and again until the very best results were achieved... What resulted was genius" (Life in the Republic of the Marshall Islands)

twisted coconut line used to tie together the haul planks, outrigger beams, and platforms.

• its shrinks when submerged in water, which tightens the haul

walap:

• carried larger groups of people, as many as 50-75 people.

tipñol:

• mid-sized sailing canoe
• used for rapid transportation, fishing, and food gathering

kõrkõr:

• used for fishing or food gathering inside the sheltered waters of the lagoon.
• now used in races

Three innovations of the Marshallese outrigger canoe

1.)Spirit

a.Mejanij- Eyes of God or the center of the canoe

b.Ekkwal- Coconut line pattern or foundation

i.Connected to 8 lines or Rowj- process

c.Jouj- The bottom section of the canoe- Kindness because it carries the heavy load.

d.Kipededped- Shapes the piece. Also is linked to the time a mother takes to nurture or raise children.

Breadfruit log or log that has drifted onto shore

Coconut sennit

Lukwej branches

Jouj - Main hull, built first

maañ in bõb

Mej - Upper section built on top of Jouj

Kubaak - Outrigger float

Kie - Main structural beams that tie together the outrigger complex, or ere

Labor intensive

The ere consists of:

Several months to several years

Potak - The primary platform

The whole community was involved when canoes were built

Apet - Secondary outrigger booms

Kein ioon ere - secondary platform

Women wove the triangular matting sails and provided food for workers

Tarwak - A crosspiece lashed to the two kie to strengthen the ere

Mweiur lal - a lower crosspiece lashed between the kie and apet

Men dealt with the woodworking and construction of the canoes

Mweiur lon -– an upper crosspiece lased across the ere

Jojo -– a shock absorber lashed on top of the kie

2.)Family- The canoe is like a child. The child needs parents to teach him right or wrong.

a.Rojak Maan- Upper portion of the boom-Husband

b.Rojak Kora- Lower boom-Wife

i.Two booms hold the sail and direct children

c.Wa- Hull- Husband

d.Kubaak- Outrigger float

i.Wife meant to balance husband

ii.Comes from word Kuba=Union when husband and wife come to together

e.3 paddles

i.Jobranae- Largest paddle, keeps the canoe on course in voyage

ii.Jepandik- 2nd smallest paddle, Little helper

iii.Kiped- smallest paddle, The mother who steers her children

f.Jinen Wa- Mother

i.Help

ii.Lem- Bailer. The hardest job. Men often died from exhaustion. If they didn’t die…

1.Kod E Lem- Piece of land

iii.Iep- Line that connects the lower sail to the Rojak Kora.

g.Wujla- Sail- where the Jebaro story comes in

i.Mother introduced the sail to help triumph over 9 brothers

3.)Environment

a.Ubonwon- Chest of sea turtle

i.Plank on the Retam as seen upside down

b.Hull- the body of the sea turtle

c.Kodo- Wooden plank on Koja (Flat side of canoe) also the highest part to sit and comes from the word clouds.

d.Jojo- Flying fish- shock absorbtion through rough water. Floats independently of the outrigger.

e.AE- outrigger which represents the ocean current

Affecting Presence- building a canoe took several months to several years. The entire community was connected in the building process. Canoes became treasured for their function as well as what they represent.