The TE PUKE canoe is used in Santa Cruz Group, Solomon Islands and is an inter-island canoe renowned for its long voyages.
Dugout hull made from hardwood, round in cross sections, with only a narrow opening on the top. Open area covered with a ridged piece.
Ends of the canoe attenuated and slightly upturned. Single outrigger always carried to the windward; a platform angles upward out the lee side. Cantilever-type pieces support the lee platform and become the outrigger booms, which are lashed to a stick wedged beneath the rounded section of the upper hull. Float may be one piece or several pieces fastened together longitudinally sharp at both ends and flattened on top.
Two sturdy horizontal booms extend to, but do not attach to the float.
A mat hut is generally set onto the outrigger side.
Steered by a long paddle from the lee platform.
Short mast, raking strongly forward supported by a backstay and by two shrouds, one to each platform; mast pivoted when tacking. So called crab claw sail boomed on a luff and leech, tacked directly to the forward end of the hull.
Reported lengths 7 – 14 metre.
Solomon Islands 1971 35c sg204, scott?
Source: Aak to Zumbra, a dictionary of the World’s Watercraft.