Engineering:Te Au o Tonga

From HandWiki

Te Au o Tonga ("the mist of the South")[1] is a reconstruction of a vaka moana, a double-hulled Polynesian voyaging canoe. It was built in 1994 by former Cook Islands Prime Minister Thomas Davis and the Cook Islands Voyaging Society.[2] It was used to teach polynesian navigation.

The vaka is made of laminated wood, 72 feet long, with a displacement of 10 to 12 tons, and a crew of 18.[1] It has inspired other designs,[3] being used by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea as a model for a group of fibreglass-hulled replicas, including Marumaru Atua,[4] and later by the Te Aurere Voyaging Society in New Zealand as a model for their kauri-hulled Te Aurere.[5] It has also featured in the filmThe Legend of Johnny Lingo.[4]

Since 2002 the vaka has been based in Aitutaki.[4] In 2012 it completed a refit, with repairs to the hull and crossbeams.[3] In 2014 it completed a further refit, which replaced the hull, decks, and spars.[6] It is currently used for training and tourism trips in the Aitutaki lagoon.[6]

Voyages

  • In 1995 Te Au o Tonga made an inaugural voyage to Raiatea, Tahiti, Nuku Hiva, Hawaii, Molokai and Oahu.[4]
  • In August 1995 it sailed as part of a protest fleet against a resumption of French nuclear testing at Moruroa.[7][8]
  • In 1996 it sailed to Samoa for the VII Pacific Arts Festival, and then to Tonga and New Zealand.[4]
  • In 1999 it sailed to Auckland, New Zealand, for the opening of the Americas's Cup challenge,[9] and then on to Gisborne for the Millennium celebrations.[4] It later returned to Auckland for the America's Cup regatta.[10]
  • In 2002 it sailed to Tahiti, Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Borabora, and Mitiaro.[4]
  • In July 2008 it sailed to American Samoa for the Festival of Pacific Arts.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Te Au O Tonga". Cook Islands Voyaging Society. https://www.cookislandsvoyaging.org/our-vaka/te-au-o-tonga/. 
  2. ↑ "The Cook Islands Voyaging Society Strategic Plan 2018-2023". Cook Islands Voyaging Society. p. 3. https://4bgboc2se3r72ud9nv1ivthh-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/181126-CIVS-Strat-Plan.pdf. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Vaka Te Au O Tonga is back". Cook Islands News. 12 September 2012. https://www.cookislandsnews.com/national/vaka-te-au-o-tonga-is-back/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "History of Voyaging". Cook Islands Voyaging Society. https://www.cookislandsvoyaging.org/featured/history-of-voyaging/. 
  5. ↑ "NZ vaka modelled on Te Au O Tonga". Cook Islands News. 8 January 2018. https://www.cookislandsnews.com/local/nz-vaka-modelled-on-te-au-o-tonga/. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "New chapter for much-loved vaka". Cook Islands News. 17 June 2014. https://www.cookislandsnews.com/culture/new-chapter-for-much-loved-vaka/. 
  7. ↑ Quintina Naime (30 August 2015). "Anti-nuclear ‘dream team’ reunite". Loop. https://www.looptonga.com/content/anti-nuclear-%E2%80%98dream-team%E2%80%99-reunite. 
  8. ↑ CHRISTOPHE MARQUAND (1 September 1995). "Protest Vessels Ring Test Site, Awaiting Signs of First Blast". AP News. https://apnews.com/article/261b8690c7dfcc16ea64258ecfc4eabb. 
  9. ↑ "America's Cup underway with vibrant Pasifika flavour". Pacific Islands Monthly 69 (11): p. 53. 1 November 1999. https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-346207540/view?sectionId=nla.obj-347438121&partId=nla.obj-346228503#page/n52/mode/1up. 
  10. ↑ Nick Perry (30 June 2000). "Sailing in the wake of early navigators". New Zealand Herald. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sailing-in-the-wake-of-early-navigators/2J6FWG2S2XSBMW7X6GGTLFMU7Q/. 
  11. ↑ Jon Tikivanotau M. Jonassen. "Cook Islands". Project Muse. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/372559/summary. 



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