Marshall Islands : Flying Traditional Marshallese Proa

Footage by Ainikiōm
All Rights Reserved
Wa in ej 24 ne, waan Leyson Aluka jen Narmej Island (Jittok-En) ilo Jālwōj Atoll, juōn likao eo ewōr 35 an iōō im emōj an kōmmane 4 tipñōl ko rej jerbal ion Jālwōj rainin. Video in ekar kōmman Ilo raan in Monday, December 15th ilo mōlean Jittok-En ilo Jālwōj.
Translation:
This wa (canoe) is a 24 footer, built by Leyson Aluka(steering the canoe), a 35 year old man from Narmej Island, who’s built 4 Tipñōl (middle-sized traditional proa) that are now catering for the people’s needs in Jālwōj Atoll. This video was made in December 15th in the waters of Jittok-En in Jālwōj (Jaluit Atoll).
{end translation}
This piece features local young man, Mr. Leyson Aluka. He is one of our master canoe builders/sailers who has built and practically trained many boys and young men over the years including his kids, to build and sail canoes that are currently being used today to sustain people’s livelihoods in the islands. Here, Mr. Aluka shows us a portion of his skills in maneuvering the canoe with ease and magnificent talent!
Mr. Aluka’s knowledge of the canoes and their association with wind and sea is vast and is a community enabler of traditional knowledge.
Mr. Aluka, including the other
master canoe builders/sailers are fixed on building a traditional walap (open ocean voyaging canoe) that can assist the remote communities in Jaluit Atoll with the much needed sea transportion between Majuro (RMI Capital), other sub-centers including Ebeye, Kwajlein Atoll and other islands.
This initiative has been endorsed by the Jaluit Atoll Local Government and traditional leadership including the communities as one of their top 5 priorities in their Capacity Development Plan. A 5 year plan that was facilitated by the Pacific Centre for Environment & Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) at the University of the South Pacific in collaboration with the RMI’s Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs and the RMI HIstoric Preservarion Office through the European Union Global Global Climate Change Alliance + Scaling Up Pacific Adaption (EU GCCA + SUPA) Project - Component II: To Enjance Community Resilience to the impacts of Climate a change through Capacity Development.
The traditional capacity is evident here and the main resources are obviously these master canoe builders/sailers. All there is to do is enable these masters enable their communities.

[@tomainsworth5656]

for a thousand years until about 1850, this type of proa must have been the fastest machine on the planet, but noone knew apart from those in the Marshall Islands who created them

[@pakde8002]

Have you ever seen the Balinese jukung races? Big double outrigger canoes with huge crab claw sails and huge dependable winds.

[@DanielWilliams-oi4ss]

Proas were actually a relatively recent development. Like i wanna say 1600s?

[@user-jm2pm7kf7e]

Not really the use of proas was well known throughout different austronesian cultures even in south east asia and madagascar

[@user-jm2pm7kf7e]

​@@DanielWilliams-oi4ss austronesians have been using proas since their expansion from taiwan in 3000-1500bc. so they've been using proas for atleast 3500 years. How else do you think they would have sailed the pacific and indian oceans?

[@DanielWilliams-oi4ss]

I wish they had proa classes at the ocean racing level.

[@mastpg]

Absolute badasses

[@pelageos]

Amaizing! 😍⛵

[@islandguy6928]

Manit eo ad 🇲🇭💪🏽.

[@pakde8002]

Reminds me of the balinese boat race to Nusa penida and back.

[@dankirwan3968]

The nicest bro fly that ama

[@la13aun]

wow lukkun moolin laddrik in iioon ere

[@LaEbOy]

dang tat fast!

[@doraexplora9046]

What that outer guy needs is a ''trapeze'' from a more modern catamaran!

[@yearsago-dx9yn]

I don't think they need that along with Life jackets. I heard they literally learned how to sail before they could learned how to walk.

[@swaynebluize583]

i wonder what that speed is there at that moment?

[@Captain_Bartolo]

Wooohaaa!!!! ⛵🤟🤟🤟

[@gardenwaster]

beautiful triangulation of sail, crew and canoe

[@tommygrngo]

Cran claw sail

[@HaileISela]

indeed, these boats are perhaps the most amazing examples of applied synergetic's deep tech. brilliant treeships, treetime gliders

[@islandrifter1]

Hold onto your hats 😮

[@Clovis321]

Sou do Brasil e NÃO velejo, NUNCA entrei num barco, nem a motor nem veleiro. O máximo foi num barco a remo/motor de popa, pequeno, pescando numa lagoa. Apesar de gostar do assunto continuo totalmente leigo no assunto e portanto não consigo entender a vantagem desse modelo para o catamaran pequeno, hobbie cat. O que o torna mais rápido? A vela? Se for a vela, porque não utilizá-la nos hobie cat? Em relação ao contato dos cascos se somarmos as áreas de ambos modelos, a diferença seria pequena se não iguais. Vejo muitos comentários sobre eles e realmente não entendi ainda o porque de serem tão rápidos, ou mais rápidos que um hobbie cat. Alguém poderia ajudar-me a entender porque?

[@jakecob2624]

Nice

[@alintonrakin4521]

Dustin einwot kojro na lol

[@XStar4]

What is the speed of the proa?

[@gregedmond6995]

It’s a Marshallese kōrkōr and proa….Marshallese kōrkōr are the only canoes know in the pacific to move with and against the wind.

[@lonewaer]

@@gregedmond6995 That doesn't answer the question

[@longpinkytoes]

sometimes ≥ wind speed

[@yearsago-dx9yn]

@@lonewaer depends on the size of the proas . This particular type from the Marshalls and they are know to be the fastest in the Pacific. Estimated. Small proas 10 mph, medium proas 15, and the a.k.a Walap large proas mainly for voyaging can go up to 50mphin the high seas . Although Large proas rarely exist and only a few have left or in storages. Amazing thing about these proas is that they can literally moved against the wind.

[@garyabji1341]

normal weather will take you 20-25 milage per hour, strong wind will take you 35-50 milage per hour, for what i know

[@Traderhood]

How do they reef?

[@tomainsworth5656]

They don't, they just go faster!! Seriously, not sure, I think they might pull up the lower boom making the sail more baggy and less powerful

[@cloaker7237]

They don’t, really. Only way to decrease the sail size is swap out the sail. Gotta be careful in high winds

[@tommygrngo]

By simply closing the claw, the spars can fold into one another

[@chrispalmer1255]

I believe it’s called brailing

[@tommygrngo]

hauling ass

[@chrispalmer1255]

For real!

[@malin5468]

How do they tack?

[@actual_nonsense]

They probably shunt rather than tack. There are videos of proas shunting if you're interested.

[@malin5468]

@@actual_nonsense Thanks