outrigger canoes | Where in the world is Riccardo?

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 1 – the deserted pristine white sand beach of the uninhabited island on the Deboyne Lagoon

Following our sunset cocktails and bonfire on Nivani Island, our ship remained anchored in Deboyne Lagoon overnight. The following morning, we sailed a short distance across the lagoon to a new anchorage, closer to the uninhabited gem of an island, Rara Island, that is surrounded by pristine white sand beaches. For our last day of landings on this expedition, we had an “all water sports” day of activities. Mid-morning we rode in Zodiacs to the beach on Rara island where we then boarded a very typical Papua New Guinean sailing canoe, a Sailau. These outrigger canoes are based on the original Pacific Islanders’ sailing canoes, with a design believed to go back several thousand years! “Sailaus, as sailing canoes are called in Misima, the common language of these islands, are hand hewn wooden outrigger canoes with one mast. Sails are suspended between a yard and a boom almost the length of the mast. They are made of nylon, plastic or canvas tarpaulins, or bits of rice bags sewn together. Often, they are a combination of materials.” — http://www.tenayatravels.com/

Originally – hundreds of years ago before the development of cloth/fabric sails — the Sailaus canoes had sails that were hand-sewn from pandanus palm tree leaves, also known as the thatch screw pine (Pandanus tectorius). Our expedition team had arranged for a total of eight Sailaus from the neighboring islands to meet us on the beach of Rara island and take us out for a mini “regatta” sail on the lagoon. After an early home-cooked lunch in our apartment, we then ventured out in a Zodiac to a set of Zodiacs set up as “snorkeling platforms” over a reef near the beach, for our last snorkeling venture of the expedition.

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 2 – thatched huts on the beach for the storage of some small outrigger canoes

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 3 — a very typical Papua New Guinean sailing canoe, a Sailau, based on the original Pacific Islanders’ sailing canoes; they are hand hewn wooden outrigger canoes with one mast, with sails that are suspended between a yard and a boom almost the length of the mast

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 4

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 5 – a close-up of the outrigger lateral support float section of the Sailu

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 6

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 7

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 8

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 9

On our Sailau sailing experience on the lagoon, we got to see first-hand how the crew handle the boat. Unlike contemporary small sailboats with a ship-centered mast with an attached boom that is able to turn upwind (come about) or downwind (jibe), the boom and sail on a Sailau are strictly on the side of the “canoe section” of the boat and can’t be “flipped” over to the outrigger support float side of the canoe. That then poses the question – how does the captain turn the boat? Pretty ingeniously, it turns out. We were fascinated to watch the crew loosen the ropes securing the prow and stern ends of the boom and then one of the crew grabbed the prow end of the boom in both hands and then walked (with the end of the boom in both hands) down the length of the boat, on the gunwale, or gunnel (the top edge of the hull of a boat), from prow to stern, effectively reversing the position of(and tilt of) the main sail. It was then rerigged and the former prow of the boat became the stern (and vice-versa). Pretty fascinating and awesome to watch the high-speed action as the boat continued to move on the lagoon water,

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 10

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 11

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 12

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 13

Rara Island, Deboyne Lagoon, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 14 — the Intrepid Explorer and Your Blogger on a walk on the beach with our ship, behind us, at anchorage in the lagoon; photograph courtesy of and copyright © 2024 by Samantha Craig

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 1 — Garove (Ile des Lacs) Island is a large volcanic caldera island with a narrow channel to enter the “doughnut hole” lagoon from the south; it is the caldera left after a major eruption almost 300 years ago

From a prior expedition visit, our expedition team recalled that some of the best SCUBA diving in the world was on Garove Island. Garove (Ile des Lacs) Island is a large volcanic caldera island with a narrow channel to enter the “doughnut hole” lagoon from the south. Garove Island is the caldera left after a major eruption almost 300 years ago. The caldera’s crater is about 5 kilometers [3 miles] wide with 100 meter [330 feet] to 150 meter [500 feet] high walls around it. Because those walls are breached on the southern side of the island, the caldera is flooded and forms a superb natural harbor. We anchored in the lagoon for the day. Technically, Garove Island is one of several Vitu Islands – a volcanic group of eight islands located in the Bismarck Sea, located 40 miles [64 kilometers] north of the New Britain (island) coastline, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The Vitu Islands are administratively part of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Generally forested, the islands produce some copra and cocoa and the islands are popular with SCUBA divers. Note that copra is the dried, white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted. Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out.

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 2 — we took Zodiacs to a landing on the western interior coastline of the lagoon to visit the island’s small native Melanesian village

We took Zodiacs to a landing on the western interior coastline of the lagoon to visit the island’s small native Melanesian village. For safety reasons, no swimming or snorkeling took place, as there have been crocodiles sighted in the lagoon. About ¼ mile from the landing spot (the old jetty is broken down, so we had a beach landing) we walked up a concrete sloped walkway ramp to the village, where everyone was very friendly and most people, particularly the younger adults and the children, spoke English. One lady at her home, near the center of the village, offered visitors a whole coconut, whose top she cleaved off, exposing a small hole, enabling us to drink the coconut water, which was extremely refreshing in the warm humid environment. (This was the first day we really felt the humidity, because the forests on the outer rim of the caldera, above the lagoon, blocked the strong trade winds that blow through this region at this time of the year. With calm air, the humidity was very noticeable!).

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 3 – this mother and child were part of the locals’ “greeting committee” to welcome us (warmly) to their village

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 4 – a family that we talked with, in front of their house — as we walked on the trail along the shore to the ramp for the uphill walk to the main village

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 5 – a family at their home that was part of a multi-home compound

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 6 – the communal kitchen building for the families in the compound shown in photograph #5, above

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 7 – outrigger canoes along the shore of the lagoon

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 8 – homes in the main uphill village

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 9 – a young carpenter who was building a new door for a home in the village

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 10 – a rooftop solar panel (the only one we saw on our walk in the village)

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 11 — one lady at her home, near the center of the village, offered visitors a whole coconut, whose top she cleaved off, exposing a small hole, enabling us to drink the coconut water, which was extremely refreshing in the warm humid environment

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 12 – this woman was home shredding fresh coconut meat for cooking

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 13 – happy boys on the walkway to the upper main village; note the mother’s teeth are orange from chewing beetel nuts (areca nuts)

Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects, the primary psychoactive compound being arecoline.

“The seed is separated from the outer layer of the fruit and may be used fresh, dried, boiled, baked, roasted or cured. The most common method of using betel nut is to slice it into thin strips and roll it in a betel leaf with slaked lime (powder) or crushed seashells. This leaf package is known as a betel quid, betel nut chew, betel chew, betel pan or betel paan (India). Betel quids may also contain tobacco and other additives such as cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, aniseed, coconut, sugar, syrups and fruit extracts, to enhance the flavour. Betel nut chewing is an important cultural practice in some regions in south and south-east Asia and the Asia Pacific. It has traditionally played an important role in social customs, religious practices and cultural rituals.” — https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/betel-nut/ (website of the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation)

Garove Island, Vitu Islands, Papua New Guinea, photograph # 14 — the “stairway to heaven” stairs to the primary school and the local church, situated on top of a hill

After visiting the village, we walked downhill, back to the Zodiac landing spot and continued on to reach the “stairway to heaven” stairs to the primary school and the local church, situated on top of a hill. Everyone climbing the stairs was conscious of the fact that there was no handrail and that, years ago, so the story goes, author Peter Benchley (Jaws) had too much to drink and lost his balance and fell off the stairs – breaking an arm.