Tag Archives: Canoes and Kayaks

Kayak fisherman

This week’s Friendly Friday challenge theme is ‘Color Harmonies.’ See more responses here.

I like the colors in this photo of a kayak fisherman, with his red hat and yellow kayak. He has a fairly typical setup, with two or three rods attached in one way or another. He’ll have some bait in the kayak and probably a few beverages and snacks.

I was surprised to see him passing so close, but figured that he’d seen me and was being careful. In the end, I was glad I stopped to take this photo because just after I started swimming again, a large lure and hook passed in front of me on his unseen trailing line. Had I not stopped I’d probably have been hooked, reeled in, gutted, and barbecued. Not a bad way to go, really, I guess.

Canoe racers

Canoe racing is part of a resurgence in traditional Hawaiian culture and activities. Before contact with western civilization, canoe racing was widely popular. But missionaries, who were among the early western arrivals on the islands, didn’t like the races and the gambling on them (along with pretty much every other enjoyable activity). Finally, Queen Ka’ahumanu, influenced by the missionaries, banned canoe racing.

In 1875, King David Kalakaua reinstated the sport, leading to renewed participation in the activity. These days, canoe racers come from all walks of life and take part in the sport for the exercise as well as the racing. Many of the boats, based on traditional designs, are made from fiberglass, but most canoe racing clubs have at least one canoe made from koa wood as it would have been in the old days.

In these photos, a group of local women train in a double-hulled canoe, zipping into Kawaihae Harbor ahead of one of the inter-island barges.

Posted in response to this week’s Sunday Stills challenge on the theme of ‘Sports or Hobbies.’ See more offerings here.

Outrigger canoe

An outrigger canoe off the North Kohala coastAn outrigger canoe off the North Kohala coast

I saw this little outrigger sailing canoe off the North Kohala coast. The two men had obviously been fishing, possibly still were, but though the canoe wasn’t too far out, I couldn’t figure out which way they were headed. I guess they must have made it safely to shore since I didn’t see anything in the news about missing mariners.

Inter-island barge and Makali’i

An inter-island barge and Hawaiian voyaging canoe Makali'i at Kawaihae harbor.

This week’s posts are in response to the WordPress photo challenge on the theme of ‘transient.’

There are two commercial ports on the Big Island, Hilo on the east side, and Kawaihae on the west. This is a view of Kawaihae harbor with the inter-island barge unloading at the dockside. In Hawaii, many goods are shipped to Oahu and then distributed to the other islands on barges.

Also at the dock, beyond the barge, is the Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Makali’i. This boat had just returned to the water after a long refit on the island. The following day, it set off to join other boats in Oahu, welcoming home the Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hokuleʻa, from its 3-year Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage.

Two wildly different vessels, but both engaged in the very transient business of crossing open waters.

For more information about Hokuleʻa and the Polynesian Voyaging Society, go to www.hokulea.com.

Fa‘afaite Tahitian voyaging canoe

The Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa‘afaite off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.The Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa‘afaite off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Yesterday saw the return of the Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hokuleʻa, from its 3-year Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage. There was a ceremony on Oahu to mark the return featuring Hokuleʻa’s sister canoe, Hikianalia, and several other Polynesian voyaging canoes.

Earlier in the week, one of the canoes, Fa‘afaite, from Tahiti, was waiting for its sister canoe, Okeanos, off the Kohala coast, before carrying on to Oahu. These voyaging canoes use traditional instrument-free navigation on their travels.

For more information about Hokuleʻa and the Polynesian Voyaging Society, go to www.hokulea.com.

The Tahitian voyaging canoe Fa‘afaite off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.