Tapairua. A stately sailing vessel of later explorations, incorporating a distinctive evolutionary development of the basic Oceanic spritsail. The remarkable sails stand out on each mast, bordered with wood for stability. It is believed that the seafarers were guided to unseen distant islands by the direction of evening flights of birds. Some of the more modern versions of the vessel carry such romantic names as Wait for the West Wind, or Rainbow. The Tapairua voyaged throughout central Polynesia and from Tahiti to Hawaii.
Sea Breezes November 1973 by Ernest Argyle.
Detail from Cook Islands Post Office.
Cook Islands SG437
Tapairua
Re: Tapairua
Тipairua-Canoe of Society Islands.Double-hulled traveling canoe used mainly by local chiefs for short and medium-length voyages. . They had names like Tiaitoerau (Wait a west wind) and Anuanua (Rainbow).
Еxtinct. Differed from similar craft of the islands by the flat, horizontal pieces that projected forward as much as 1.5-1.8m from the hulls themselves and the sharply rising stern; generally topped by a tall, vertical orna¬mentation. Basal dugout hulls raised by 2 broad, sewn strakes in short lengths; deep "U" in cross sec¬tion. Straight or slightly concave cutwater; bottoms had slight rocker at the bows, but sterns swept up 4.6-5.5m above water level. Stern decorations were carved cylinders, square pieces, or carved, grotesque figures; bows sometimes carried low decorations, showing anthropomorphic ancestor figures (ti’i) standing back to back( to see,for example, British Museum.) The number of crosspieces connecting the 2 hulls varied as to position and number, with as many as 18 in some cases. They were evenly spaced or clustered at the ends with more widely spaced pieces under the hut that spanned the 2 hulls. Bow ends enclosed, ter¬minating in breakwaters. Stepped 1-2 vertical masts: one well forward, the 2nd forward of amidships and abaft the hut. These canoes usually had two sails set out as in a ketch, i.e. with a larger sail on a mast in the front third of the canoe and a smaller sail in the aft third. Both sails were always placed on the connecting deck halfway between the two hulls, and a ladder was attached to the mast to help reach the sail and sail sheet (the rope that the helmsman held to make slight adjustments to the angle of the sail, keeping it close to the wind). Polynesian sails were finely woven out of pandanus fibre, work that was carried out exclusively by women, while the ropes and lines used in conjunction with them were made by men. Similarly, all seafaring carpentry work was carried out exclusively by men and under the supervision of a master.. Also rowed..Оne man would pilot the canoe with a steering paddle made of dense wood and with a very wide blade. Reported lengths 9-24m, beam ca. 0.6m, depths 0.9-1.2m.
French Polynesia 1976; 75f; SG229
Marshall Islands 1997; 32c; SG969.
Nauru 1975; 20с; sg134.
Cook Islands 2013; 2,30; 4,50; SG?
Source : A Dictionary of the world’s Watercraft from Aak to Zumbra.
http://www.britishmuseum.
Еxtinct. Differed from similar craft of the islands by the flat, horizontal pieces that projected forward as much as 1.5-1.8m from the hulls themselves and the sharply rising stern; generally topped by a tall, vertical orna¬mentation. Basal dugout hulls raised by 2 broad, sewn strakes in short lengths; deep "U" in cross sec¬tion. Straight or slightly concave cutwater; bottoms had slight rocker at the bows, but sterns swept up 4.6-5.5m above water level. Stern decorations were carved cylinders, square pieces, or carved, grotesque figures; bows sometimes carried low decorations, showing anthropomorphic ancestor figures (ti’i) standing back to back( to see,for example, British Museum.) The number of crosspieces connecting the 2 hulls varied as to position and number, with as many as 18 in some cases. They were evenly spaced or clustered at the ends with more widely spaced pieces under the hut that spanned the 2 hulls. Bow ends enclosed, ter¬minating in breakwaters. Stepped 1-2 vertical masts: one well forward, the 2nd forward of amidships and abaft the hut. These canoes usually had two sails set out as in a ketch, i.e. with a larger sail on a mast in the front third of the canoe and a smaller sail in the aft third. Both sails were always placed on the connecting deck halfway between the two hulls, and a ladder was attached to the mast to help reach the sail and sail sheet (the rope that the helmsman held to make slight adjustments to the angle of the sail, keeping it close to the wind). Polynesian sails were finely woven out of pandanus fibre, work that was carried out exclusively by women, while the ropes and lines used in conjunction with them were made by men. Similarly, all seafaring carpentry work was carried out exclusively by men and under the supervision of a master.. Also rowed..Оne man would pilot the canoe with a steering paddle made of dense wood and with a very wide blade. Reported lengths 9-24m, beam ca. 0.6m, depths 0.9-1.2m.
French Polynesia 1976; 75f; SG229
Marshall Islands 1997; 32c; SG969.
Nauru 1975; 20с; sg134.
Cook Islands 2013; 2,30; 4,50; SG?
Source : A Dictionary of the world’s Watercraft from Aak to Zumbra.
http://www.britishmuseum.
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