A New Sailing Canoe in Fulaga

In August 2015 we returned to the Fijian Island of Fulaga to help complete the building of the first new sailing canoe to be launched in around six years.
This 15 minute video shows the build sequence and the first test sail. It's a tribute to Meli, who felled the tree and built the hull in 2014 then, tragically, died of cancer a few months later; his brothers Alifereti and Mini took up the challenge to complete the project.
The crews of the yachts Sel Citron and Maunie of Ardwall helped with the build in 2015, together with locals Pito and Jio. We hope that the launch of the new canoe will help keep the traditional canoe-building skills in Fulaga alive.

[@Afro408]

Gotta keep those traditional skills and knowledge alive.

[@vinniesdayoff3968]

I wish there were more videos like this on KZbin instead of all the senseless nonsense. Thank you for sharing.

[@drewgibbons7245]

Fulaga power to play a chainsaw like a flute! Carumba planks jig nah I’ll just eyeball it. Love the bright blue sail! Drew

[@101jchristensen]

What a beautiful project to have a chance to take part in. The "non-traditional" tools, fasteners, and sail are exactly what the boat builders 1,000 years ago would have used had they been available. It's the design that is timeless. Great video. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@gondwanalon]

Loved how perfectly the sides of the canoe were cut from the log out in the wilderness. As good as a modern saw mill could do. Love it!

[@randomx4289]

That was a really clan cut just from eyeing it with a chainsaw.

[@tomjeffersonwasright2288]

Great, from both a spiritual and a mechanical point of view. I have been looking for an explanation of crab claw sail rigs, and this shows it very clearly.

[@jadekayak01]

Great to see they are building thier TRADITIONAL style boats with more modern tools and equipment.

[@mikatuitoga4992]

Really enjoyed this video. Great content. I'm Fijian and most of us have never ever seen in face, let alone ride on a traditional canoe.

[@HBhelpinghand]

I didn't know this man and sorry to hear of a man with such passion die of a such disease. But I for one would be honor to ride this canoe, Beautiful video of people working together. God bless.

[@morethan4mph]

Fantastic story and so heartwarming to see life breathed into the boat. A great tribute. However, the shots of cutting the planks with big chainsaws and bare feet had me wincing.

[@SLUGGYSS]

+morethan4mph Me too... and very far from the nearest hospital... Absolutly no right for error! But I agree, it's a nice story, and a great place to visit.

[@treeefrogUK]

When I saw him using the chainsaw while standing barefoot on the log I had to grin - common sense and knowing your tools beats any Health & Safety legislation.

[@longpinkytoes]

clearly he should have something with slippery soles that prevents his toes from gripping the work surface ;)

[@lifesailinc-lsi1120]

Discovery of your own by helping others

[@tomainsworth5656]

so good seeing everyone working together

[@juemuri5448]

verry simple...und funktionsfähig. mit anderem mast und anderer segelstellung aber besser zu handhaben,,,um die fahrt beibehalten zu können

[@outlander-x]

super fast boat! pretty big, and well-made. i have a little tahitian va'a motu, much smaller than that one. lots of fun.

[@ak407tangaroapeople2]

Did you all know that the Fijian and the Tongan Fijian Lau group,who first build the Pacific Islander Voyaging.

[@KnifeCrazzzzy]

Epic!!

[@tarisidrotini6807]

Make use of your local 🌳. What a magic. Loloma.

[@variacenavsiav9945]

Touching story. Great video. Thank you. Good luck to all people involved.

[@Captain_Bartolo]

Es ist so beeindruckend zu sehn, wie seit Jahrhunderten solche Boote gebaut und nachhaltig benutzt werden. Leider findet man immer weniger dieser traditionellen Segler. Selbst im abgeschiedenen Papua habe ich nur sehr wenig davon entdeckt. Die alten Einbäume werden fast nur noch mit 15 PS Motoren bewegt. Ich verstehe ja, daß das für die Fischer praktisch und direkt ist. Nur leider sind sie damit auch der Sprit Mafia finanziell ausgeliefert und müssen viel mehr Fisch fangen als sie brauchen. Das ist wirklich traurig. Um so schöner diese Filme hier zu sehn.

[@Maunie38]

English translation: It is so impressive to see how such boats have been built and used sustainably for centuries. Unfortunately one finds fewer and fewer of these traditional sailors. Even in remote Papua, I saw very little of it. The old dugout canoes are almost only moved with 15 HP motors. I understand that this is practical and direct for the fishermen. Unfortunately, they are financially at the mercy of the fuel mafia and have to catch a lot more fish than they need. That's really sad. All the nicer to see these films here. Thanks for the comment! In Fulaga, with only one supply ship a month, being able to navigate around the lagoon without the use of 2-stoke fuel was a huge benefit and the canoe was widely shared by several families. Sadly, we heard it was holed on a rock a couple of years after it was built and we don't know if anyone has yet built another.

[@benwbayerl]

I love this video.

[@andrewbaillie6291]

Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[@BalkanShipyards]

Very well done vid! I really enjoyed the detail of the build, thanks to you guys...... keep it up for the unlucky ones living on "civilized" land................

[@SuperHyee]

Thanks !

[@ecotonicaiaquesantoandresc4060]

Maravilha! Muita Luz...

[@maksymilianzamm3164]

Bravo

[@pervertt]

This watercraft (it seems uncharitable to call it a canoe) is called a camakau. Traditional boat building skills need to be kept alive as too many in the Pacific rely on outboard motors these days. They are part of the culture and technology of Melanesians and Polynesians.

[@parradizeestudios5680]

Rip meli ....

[@ak407tangaroapeople2]

The Drua was the first Pacific Canoe Voyaging.The Fijian and the Tongan Fijian Lau group was the first people to build canoe in 14 centuries before captain Cook visit the Pacific Oceania.,He see hundreds canoes in Tonga and Fiji sailing in the open Pacific Oceania.

[@pakde8002]

And how did the first people get to Fiji islands? Great swimmers I suppose LoL

[@malakaitoko3710]

@@pakde8002 we did not come from Africa or anywhere else...

[@gavinhosler5503]

These guys are seriousley talented with a chainsaw

[@ak407tangaroapeople2]

The Tongan Kalia and all the knowledge of the Pacific canoes,came from Fiji and the Tongan Lau group.Look up the histories.

[@l-trainzero1451]

What type of tree are they using?

[@mikatuitoga4992]

Fijian Hardwood tree known locally as Vesi. Known throughout Melanesia as Kwila.

[@cowpoke02]

cool . what did they use for sails back in old days ???

[@jerryveisa]

The sails were made from pandanus leaves that were weaved. Fijians also use it as mats in their households and are still in use today in a typical Fijian home.

[@valentine8004]

Yes, the Pacific Islanders voyaged and navigated in these all across the Pacific ocean

[@faatuipanama7262]

Woven mats called "fala"...I sleep on two at home in the states... it's just how I was raised. I have an expensive bed, but with my gf in Thailand at the moment...I see no need to use it, so it is in storage and I sleep on my fala like I would in Samoa.

[@perfectweather]

👍

[@pozitifman2001]

That is simple..

[@liefjorgen]

5:14 :O

[@solexxx8588]

iF YOU WANT STRENGTH, MAKE TRIANGLES.

[@ak407tangaroapeople2]

Why dust the white people had to recording video of the Native Fijian building canoes? Because they wanted to learn from the native Fijian how to build the Polynesian canoes.hahahahaha

[@npc6817]

Of course we do, those canoes are awesome! I mean for how long have they been the fastest sailing boats? I wish I could learn to sail one but every video I found is all about cool shots against sunset or water level shots, no one shows how to actually manuever the boat and I cant exactly afford to build one not knowing if I can sail it

[@davidkendall589]

Get over yourself, you racist prick.

[@tomainsworth5656]

@@npc6817 until the steam engine, these canoes must have been the fastest human made thing on the planet for thousands of years!

[@Paul_Saint-Aubin_Plamondon]

Mata'i pâli