History of Outrigger Canoes from Maui Paddle Sports:
”Outrigger Canoe Paddling started hundreds of years ago in ancient Polynesia, and then was brought here to the islands. Polynesian voyagers used just the stars, wind & their paddles to travel thousands of miles to what we now know as Hawaii. It is an integral part of the Hawaiian culture & was an essential form of transportation. It helped to sustain the Hawaiian way of life- fishing, recreation & transportation between the islands were all possible because of the outrigger. It was how the Polynesians arrived here & how the Hawaiians were able to thrive.”
Traditional Hawaiian Outrigger Paddling Wa’a
Attributed to Johann George Adam Forster, watercolour dated 1779
Represents the visit by Capt.James Cook to the Bay of Karakakooa on the main island of Hawaii. This scene is also famous for showing the first known "surfer".
Image: Kauai Fine Arts
Link: http://www.brunias.com/haw09.html
“The Hawaiian Canoe” by Tommy Holmes.
Book contains numerous specially commissioned diagrams and illustrations, along with a wealth of photographs will delight anyone with an interest in the maritime history of Hawaii.