HONOLIULIU TRAIL

Posted on April 24, 2009

A day up the Honoliuliu trail  along the Waianae mountains with my brother- in- law Ralph Morelli, computer science professor at Trinity College, CT, and author of Java, Java, Java, Object-Orientated Problem solving, and Duane B. former researcher, Dept. of Tropical Plant and  Soil science, University of Hawaii at Manoa and myself.

 

 

The most common trees along that trail are species of Eucalyptus, a lot of Silky Oak,

also called Lacewood, and curiously enough a few Bunya Bunya trees, a conifer specie

closely allied to pines, redwoods and other primitive trees. Queensland, Australia, is

the tree native land.  Once prized in Hawaii, its wood was used for ship’s masts and spars.

Asmat Mask

Posted on April 19, 2009

I do not believe in gambling or in the stock market…well maybe yes if I would have money to burn.

But I truly believe that there are treasures out there for one to scoop up, provided one

is knowledgeable in the field in question, and keeps his eyes and ears wide open.

In my time studying the canoes of Oceania I also gain knowledge about the culture

and traditions of the people building those vessels.

So when visiting an antic shop on Oahu a few days ago my eyes were immediately

attracted by a dark stained wooden mask lying on a chair. I took the mask in my hands

and realized immediately that this is an old mask, and not a contemporary sculpted one.

I asked how much? Well, I’ll give it to you for $ 20.00 said the shop keeper. I handed

her the money.

I knew of course that the mask in question is an old Asmat ceremonial mask dating to

1930-40, and therefore extremely valuable. The Asmat tribe is notorious for head-hunting, residing in West-Papua (Irian Jaya).

The Asmat people are considered the best wood carver of the stone age, creating intricately carved canoes, including model canoes that they

 

Hokulea

Posted on April 14, 2009

Jibs used on Hokule’a

Posted on April 12, 2009

I am referring here to an article written by Gregg K. Kakesako in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin of Friday March 20/09 .

 

 

titled  < Kokule’a hits Palmyra, gets new crew members >.

The article was illustrated with a photo of the Hokule’a under full sail near the atoll.

What was so unusual in this photo was the fact that the voyaging canoe was equipped with a set of triangular staysails, one set forward of the foremost mast, the other in between the two crab claw sails.

Although I understand that smaller jibs increase the speed of the craft in high wind

conditions , it needs to be said however that no traditional Oceanic voyaging canoe was

ever rigged in such a manner. Thus , the rigging as shown in the attached picture, departs

from what is known about Hawaiian voyaging canoes.

Back on the “block”

Posted on April 11, 2009

Was it writers block or busy doing other things? I believe it’s a bit of both.

Anyway I am back on the block after a sabbatical lasting a few months.

I really like this word “sabbatical” as it translates with “Forshungsurlaub”

in German, which really means a vacation of studies and research !Well, this is

exactly what I have been up to ever since bailing out the water from my flooded

workshop.

Never short of work been commissioned to build model canoes of Oceania, I

also spent much time and effort building up my photo albums on Flickr.com and

Picasa.com. Both albums are similar in content and run under the username <hawaiiancanoes> Most recent photos do illustrate 2 very beautiful surfing canoes

and a Samoan one man fishing canoe been auctioned at Niketown in Waikiki.

The Hawaiian canoes were quite old, carved out of Koa tree logs.

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