Guam Chamorro Voyaging Canoes

[@Islandgirl92900]

Wow!!! This is a beautiful canoe! A traditional trade to pass on to our chamorro children and grandchildren. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@greenmantis2158]

Gotta keep this knowledge going. We may have to rely on it again one day.

[@gonzalez267777]

from Venezuela Sur america congratulate them really like. are passionate about their work... no words to describe how much i love their handmade boat...

[@securerihgaroyal6019]

man i remember it like yesterday we had fun sailing

[@pelageos]

Very beautiful!

[@Johnchuk3]

"thousands of years of canoe building" that's just mind boggling.

[@longpinkytoes]

even more boggley when you realise there is no metal for the saltwater to corrode... :O

[@waveriderz]

...i thought they did a great job also and should be proud of it.. I am sure they appreciate the compliment....who knows,maybe one day your wish might just come true..

[@gonzalez267777]

ask facebook... will have to communicate with you... i have many questions such as: what material is the curtain? that materials used to make the knots? paddles are carved? single trunk? traditionally use pulleys or no other way than industrial pulleys?? etc etc etc

[@da1stbruceleroux]

The hull of the canoe is made from one trunk, but is built up with strips and waterproofed using boiled breadfruit sap between the adjoining pieces. There is more to it than just this, but this is the basics. Metal adzes are used for carving and shaping, but be rest assured, if a chain saw or other gas or electric tools are available, then ...as my Chuukese friend was quoted as saying, "we are not dumb, so if there's a tool that will make our work easier and it is available, then we will use it." With this in mind, the modern canoes have many of the traits of the traditional ones, but with rolling pulleys and modern Dacron sail material: short of foil sails.

[@longpinkytoes]

the sail is woven from long leaves like pandanus, the ropes are hand-made from coconut husk fibres, the only place a pulley would be useful is the top of the mast, and since the rope only changes direction by 90° a pulley would only add weight. @da1stbruceleroux not sure what you meant by foil sails but modern sails still haven't used all the tricks traditional sails have ;)

[@seewaage]

I love these canoes. They're very beautiful. I have a question: when people take longer voyages in these canoes, how do they sleep? I saw a video where someone said the people from the Caroline Islands sail up to Guam and Rota. I'm wondering how people make overnight voyages in these canoes.

[@perryl45]

I'm not worried about sleeping,,I want to know how they take a crap!!!!

[@moriatiksaunders3118]

There is a platform that extend out opposite the outrigger. The crew take turns sleeping. As for toilet, hehe just squat and go over the side, or you can grab a rope and jump into the sea, once you are done, you can then pull yourself back into canoe.

[@terzanole]

There are much bugger ships called sakman that were used for more long-term voyaging. It definitely has space to sleep

[@greenmantis2158]

The boat has two platforms. One joining to the pontoon. And the other on the opposite side as a counter weight to the pontoon. Lay down if you get tired. We all know how to pee off a boat. It's been my experience you rarely have to go poop in a boat. It's like your body knows this place is not good for that. But if you had , you figure It out. It's a men's voyage, so no shyness going on.

[@seewaage]

@@greenmantis2158 I know what you mean about peeing off a boat. I went sailing on a 50' yacht from California to Mexico. On the way back, the waste water holding tank filled up so we had to pee off the back of the boat. No pooping allowed since the head was overflowing. It was because we didn't have an opportunity to pump the holding tank in port.

[@александрзайцев-н7ж]

Известны кому нибудь чертежи?проа

[@longpinkytoes]

Модели не игрушки, они рисунки :) c1.staticflickr.com/4/3815/13363882913_989e50c82e_k.jpg

[@northtr4784]

oh btw its "KUAM" not Gua han. its a Carolinian word like some of your villages are.now you know why its sounds a little strange. maybe you were thinking they were old Chamorro words. does UMATAC sound like a Chamorro word to you? what about TAMUNING or the other villages not named in english? this are carolinian words slightly changed over the generations and different administrations. CNMI islands are all named by Carolinians long ago. from Guam all the way to the closest island to Japan. we have an oral history about the naming of Guam wich is actually Kuam in our language. Gua' han. lol! have what? malingo todu i kuturat.

[@da1stbruceleroux]

It amazes me the ethnocentrism that some individuals possess. However, ethnocentrism is a derivative of pure ignorance. Therefore, I should not be surprised. I must say, NorthSt(at)r you are the epitome of ethnocentrism!!! Let me give you a lesson in linguistics, since I am a language specialist myself. A living language is a changing language. What this means is people borrow from other people. Over time, the word(s) become part of the indigenous vocabulary. Therefore, to think your lineage once owned, inhabited and named my island (or others for that matter) is ludicrous! Let me make it simpler for you to understand...there are Palauan, Yapese, Chamorro, Pohneipean, Marshallese and even Polynesian words in all of our languages, does that mean that all these islands were the first??? Pleeeease, sit down because you ALREADY bumped your head in ignorance! Yeah, your lineage of people named all the islands in Micronesia and even the one's closest to Japan... Wow IWO JIMA is an AUTHENTIC Carolinian word! Hey WORLD did you get that... Iwo Jima is not Japanese! LOL! I'm NOT GOIng to tell you again, SIT DOWN because you already bumped your head filled with ignorance! Now that I have your attention, if you listened (which apparently you did not), all the videos pertaining to Chamorro sea-faring canoes have paid homage (that's means RESPECT to the stupid and ignorant ...more specifically YOU NorthSt(at)r) to those who have more than graciously shared what was taken away from us. We the Chamorro people are deeply grateful to the late and great Master Navigators such as Mau Pauleg, Manny Sakau and others even today who understand it is not about who thinks they are the originators... or even worse, who thinks ethnocentrically! Remember this, these great men have shared this knowledge because even they know the time of the proas are getting shorter as each generation passes and wants to be more westernized(not just Chamorros, but all). This is the reality!!! The truth of the matter is YOU have disrespected YOUR OWN PEOPLE by having such short minded perspective and sharing it with the world! Fortunately for the rest of us in the world, we know it is ONLY YOU and not your people. NorthSt(at)r, before you decide to write a rebuttal, you should seriously read what has been said and internalize the message. In the end, it is only you that has to save face...or not.

[@gonzalez267777]

i am working with different recycling materials instad of wood i ask that you help are much more knowledgeable and experts please wish and ask them for help

[@da1stbruceleroux]

Luis, on the island atolls where different varieties of wood is limited, many of the islanders make rope from the coconut fibers taken from the husk. On Guam, Pohnepei, Kosrae and the main island of Chuuk where different varieties of wood is more available, there is a type of tree which the bark can be peeled in strips, and then, woven into rope. On Guam this type of tree is called Pago (pu/go). I don't know the scientific word in English, but it is a soft wood used for carving as well.

[@longpinkytoes]

@da2stbruceleroux ...this one? upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Starr_010309-0519_Hibiscus_tiliaceus.jpg

[@northtr4784]

title says "Chamorro voyaging canoe" REALLY! Chamorro knowledge of canoe building died long time ago says social study's 101. thats common knowledge in Saipan. Mau p. reintroduced and taught navigation and canoe building in Saipan and it wasnt just Carolinians who learned as all we're welcome. after canoe fever spread a few others began claiming that they still retain the old Chamorro knowlegde of canoe building.and when they built one,VOILA! a Micronesian looking canoe.lol! heres an idea! make a video of a Chamorro lady dancing polynesian dance "YORANA" (like ya'll do all the time) wearing Polynesian cocnut shell style while some men are doing the"HAKA" (like ya'll do in Saipan hotels for tourism)while others are doing Micronesian look alike stick war dance all taking place on a Micronesian look alike canoe off the coast of an island called Gua han and title it Chamorro culture.

[@bruceleroux4440]

@@longpinkytoes - Thank you! I love your analogy and reason.