Project Updates  ||  Table of Contents

THE VAKA TAUMAKO PROJECT

Lata Navigation School       Underway Again! During November to early December, 2006 hundreds of Taumako people turned their hands to replacing outriggers on each of the two "te alolili" voyaging canoes at Taumako. Two new sails are being made for these canoes. The third and largest voyaging canoe, the te puke named "Vaka Taumako" will be next to receive a new outrigger. Ariki Kaveia and his students hope to be able to begin that work within 2007. In January and Feburary the leaf roof on the halavaka was replaced. This major project was led by Fox Boda. After the larger te alolili was re-launched with it's new "te ama," Ariki Kaveia christened it "Te Vai Ehu o Lata." This name comes from the story of Lata and refers to the river-mouth on the beach in Kahula, where Father Eel and his children lived under the big rock in the middle of the river. This is the place where Lata's soon-to-be-father caught Father Eel. The Father Eel told Lata's father-to-be how to cut off it's tail and put it in a bowl of water so that the soon-to-be-born baby Lata could suckle on it when his parents were away. From the eel's tail came Lata's mana. Ariki Kaveia also named the smaller te alolili "Te Nohoanga o Lata" after the original positioning of Lata (and Lata's original work of building and sailing the first Polynesian voyaging canoe) at the kainga (pie-shaped land division) of Kahula on the island of Taumako. On Dec 1, 2, and 4, three different crews did training sails on "Te Wai Ehu o Lata". These crews comprised students in the Lata School of Navigation, which Ariki Kaveia and the Taumako members of the Vaka Taumako Project have just reinstated. Six levels of classes in practical seamanship and navigation have been planned. The first two levels have been underway during January through March, 2007. The third and fourth levels are planned for August - October, 2007. In early October the best students will sail "Te Nohoanga o Lata" to Nifiloli, Outer Reef Islands, delivering it to the Vaeakau people who wish to study navigation there. An SSB radio is now up and running at Nifiloli and will be used for communications and as an aide to Vaka Taumako Project sail training programs. Ariki Kaveia (Te Matua) is planning to teach one crew of students each day. When all crews have had a day of training then he will work with the first crew again. From November - March is the prime cyclone season, so the seasons for sailing are yet to come in 2007. Eventually foreign students may be welcome to register for classes at the Lata Navigation School. This could possibly happen as early as late August - September, 2007, for 5 weeks of programs which comprise the two beginning level classes. More on this soon.

Here is a collection of photos from Nov/Dec 2006. Click the thumbnail images to view a full sized image. Click your browser back button to return to this page.

Sequence of photos showing steps in shunting the vaka named "te Wai Ehu o Lata" Foredeck crew Barton Vehu shows how Lata pointed the way to great sailing adventures. Captain Fox is preparing the crew for performing the shunt. The tata is loosened and the sail comes free of the mast. The sail falls into the hands of the deck crew and B. Vehu holds onto the now less securely stepped mast The "lele" or mast-rising rigging rope is loosened and the mast drops lower Alan Ioki prepares to lift the entire sail and booms aided by B. Vehu The sail had been placed to leeward of the mast The sail is handed toward the new bow The tack of the sail is being lowered to where the booms will be stepped The "lele" is made fast the "tata" has been tightened so the sail is made fast to the boom. Now the sail is being trimmed using the "haha" (sheet).     And away she goes!

Sequence of steps in making rope Jackson, Kaveia, and Patrick pound the seasoned and dried coconut husks into softened sections with long fibers in them. Ariki Kaveia pounds a soft section and as the chaff falls away the long fibers are revealed. Ariki Kaveia cuts the ends of the fibers to make them neat and more equal. Captain Fox selects fibers to use. Captain Fox adds fibers to other fibers to be twisted together. A young man twists the fibers together by rolling them over his leg. Chief Jonas rolls two strands of twist together. Ariki Kaveia shows Barton Vehu how to make three strand twist rope from inner bark of hau tree Chief Jonas lashing the two booms (or "boom" and "gaff") together. One student crew lashes vertical members to the crossbeam using the "umu" lashing. Alan Ioki looks out from under the outrigger to lash the umu pattern onto a vertical member A child's sleeping mat is just the right size to patch a weak area in this old sail.

A little girl sits herself down with a stone and a stick, her father gives her a coconut husk to pound with the stick, she does so.

Ariki Kaveia fits a childs sleeping mat over a weak area in an old worn sail. the students begin to sew it into place Ariki Kaveia supervises the adzing of the top of the mast. the swing of the adze is precise       caulking the coverboards

Te Vai Ehu o Lata moored off the beach at Kahula. Barton Vehu acting as Lata might have when leading a voyage! Eddie Taukalo helps Ambrose Miki set the steering blade against the vaka. Dixon Wia "the Bush Journalist" documenting      the belly of the sail Chief Moses captaining Te Vai Ehu o Lata       in good trim te ube bird on the moamoa rides high following a steep little wave       the prettiest flower Dixon and Emily's son Holani, who is to receive physical therapy for palsy thanks to a generous private gift.

Vaka Taumako Project of the Pacific Traditions Society PO Box 712 Capt. Cook, HI 96704 Phone (808) 328-1318     FAX    (808) 823-6741     Email:  vaka@aloha.net The Vaka Taumako Project operates under the aegis of the Pacific Traditions Society, a 501(c)3, non-profit organization. Monetary and some other donations are tax-deductible in the USA. In Germany, donations for the VTP are tax deductible if you donate to the Verein zur Frderung kultureller Traditionen (a non-profit organisation) under the key word "Vaka Taumako Project". For address and bank account information see  www.traditionen.org   Contact Dr. Mimi George, Principal Investigator Mailing address: Dr. Mimi George and Paramount Chief K. Kaveia P.O. Box 712, Capt. Cook, HI 96704 USA e-mail:  vaka@aloha.net Phone 001 808 328 1318 H. M. Wyeth, Permanent Secretary Phone 001 808 822 0647 FAX 001 808 823 6741 Larry Williamson, President, The Pacific Traditions Society e-mail:  larryw@hawaiian.net   To get onto our mailing list and/or to send in a contribution, please mail your name, address, e-mail address, and phone / fax to Mimi George at the address above.