Waka hourua

While most people in Aotearoa probably instinctively think of the single-hull waka taua when “canoes” are mentioned, there is a tradition of double-hull canoes here as elsewhere across the Pacific. These are variously known as waka hourua, waka hunua, waka unua, tuarua (temporarily lashed together) and mahanga (close-lashed - twins).

Reading:

Best E, (1925), The Maori Canoe, Dominion Museum Bulletin No 7, Government Printer, Wellington

Haddon AC and J Hornell, (1936-38), Canoes of Oceania, Special Publication 27-29, Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu

Neyret J, (1974), Pirogues Oceaniennes, Association des Amis de Musees de la Marine, Paris

Elsdon Best concludes from writings of Abel Tasman that double-hull canoes were common when Tasman visited in 1642 but he distrusts the Gilsemans illustration (right) as probably unreliable on the basis that the prow and stern projections do not resemble any know Maori forms, neither does the general form of the vessel, Best (1925).* In 1769 Banks sailing on the Endeavour with Cook reported seeing a double-hull canoe off Whale Island. By this time the double- hull canoe seems to have been uncommon in the North Island but was seen more frequently in the South island. Cook reports four double-hull canoes off Banks Pensinsula, six in Queen Charlotte Sound and one in Dusky Sound. All these waka appear to have been close-lashed together with some of them only joined temporarily. Banks estimated about 25 cm between the hulls while Best reports a canoe from the Bay of Plenty at 75cm.

Best records reports of the use of a temporary double-hull canoe as late as 1873 in the Bay of Plenty when two canoes were observed to be lashed together to put out a large seine net (apparently over to 1250 metres long and ten metres deep). The canoes in this case may have been around 16-20 metres long. Best comments that “Such temporary joining of two canoes for a special purpose differ from the permanent double canoe of Polynesia, but show that a knowledge of the usage had been preserved and utilized to a late date.”

Double canoe of Otago as depicted by a member of D’Urville’s staff during the third expedition in 1840 on the Astrolabe. Sketch from an original in Hocken Library

"A view of the Murderers' Bay, as you are at anchor here in 15 fathom", a drawing made by Abel Tasman's artist what is now called Golden Bay, 18 December 1642

Along with double-hull canoes, Banks also reports the use of outriggers stating that “now and again they made use of an outrigger, as is practiced in the islands, but this is more common southward.” Like the double-hull canoe, outrigger canoes appear to have been part of the history of Aotearoa that was fast disappearing by the end of the eighteenth century. Haddon and Hornell suggest that a few may have lingered into the nineteenth century in out-of-the-way places citing the account by Best of possibly the last in use in 1873.

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*The Gilsemans canoe bears more than a striking resemblance to canoes seen by European explorers in Tahiti

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