Gerald McCormack, CINHT
Paiere diagram – Judith Künzle
The one-man fishing canoe (paiere) of Maºuke, is almost identical to those of ºÄtiu and Mitiºäro, the other two islands of Ngäpütoru.
The hull of the canoe, also called paiere, is a dug-out log about 4 metres long. The preferred wood is Tamanu (Beauty-leaf, Calophyllum inophyllum), although Puka (Lantern Tree, Hernandia nymphaeifolia) and Tou (Pacific Rosewood, Thespesia populnea) are traditional substitutes. Nowadays, introduced Mango (Vï, Mangifera indica) and Albizia (ºArapitia, Albizia lebbeck) are also commonly used.
Most of the hollowing is done with a metal-bladed grubber. The precision work of shaping the interior is done with a one-handed adze while holding the other hand against the outside of the hull to monitor the thickness. This adze, the tüpä, has a usefully rotatable blade.
The straight gunwale rails (oa) are invariably made of Kuru (Breadfruit, Artocarpus altilis) and have a longitudinal groove on the underside. When the hull is finished and adequately opened with temporary spreaders, the gunwale rails are bound tightly onto the upper edges with spaced ties. The ties are traditionally of sennit (kaºa), which is platted from the husk-fibre (puru) of the green coconut fruit.
The outrigger booms (kiato) are each made of a single piece of Toa (Ironwood, Casuarina equisetifolia) with a side-branch forming the downward extension (punua), which is inserted into the outrigger float. The booms, also acting as spreaders, are bound across the gunwale rails. The forward boom is slightly shorter to make the float closer to the hull at the front, a feature which makes the canoe easier to paddle on a straight course.
The thwart or seat (noºoºanga), also a spreader, is typically made of Tou or Tamanu. It has a projection (käkä-ure) to support the centre of the carrying bar (tango). The strong Tamanu sapling used for the tango is bound firmly under the front kiato and over the seat projection, before it is tensioned to straighten the hull and firmly bound over the hind kiato.
The bow-cover (ºutu-mua) and stern-cover (ºutu-muri), formerly made of ºUtu (Fish-poison Tree, Barringtonia asiatica), are now carved of Tamanu, Tou, Mango or Puka. The stern-cover extends into a short stern-post (noko), which in former times was more than a metre tall and carved from a separate piece of wood.
A sennit netting (papa-tuanuºe) covers the area behind the seat, and extends under the seat to make a small cupboard (vaºa-noºoºanga) for dry storage.
The outrigger float (ama), typically on the left (port) side, is always made of ºAu (Tree Hibiscus, Hibiscus tiliaceus). It is attached to the punua of the kiato by four sennit stays (täpeka ama).
The paddle (ºoe) is typically carved of Tamanu or Tou, and half a coconut shell makes an ideal bailer (tatä-riu).
