Baurua. Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)

[Anatol]

Large interisland voyaging and war canoe; extinct except for reproductions. Early boats double-hulled Double-ended hull, planked up from a sharp keel piece that curved up at the ends to the top strake.Keel convex longitudinally; lee side of hull flattened, weather side rounded. Kiribati canoes are always built with asymmetrical sides, that is, one side is more rounded than the other. This is not unlike the aerofoil shape of the airplane wing. The reason for this is to compensate for the drag of the outrigger and its float. Therefore the more rounded side is always on the far side of the outrigger. The next step is to set up the frames. These are always set up in pairs opposite to each other and they must be erected so that one side of the canoe is more rounded than the other as stated above.
Strakes of short lengths butted end-to-end and lashed on edge-to-edge; strakes followed keel line and truncated at sheer line. Before the planks are secured to each other, a thin layer of glue obtained from the breadfruit tree is spread on the edges of the planks to help make them watertight. Flat sheer on top strake except at ends. which swept up. Long, heavy torpedo-shaped float attached to 5 long, downward-curving outrigger booms by forked-stick connectives; braced by stringers from the ends of the canoe and across the booms. One or 2 large triangular sails; apex tacked to forward end of boat, boomed at the foot. Forward-raking mast set into step on the central boom close inboard: multi-holed in order to adjust positions. Mast shored by brace from the boom, stayed fore-and-aft and from the end of the boom. A modern reproduction steps 3masts. Also paddled. Polynesian artist Herb Kane depicted 2 kanoe Kiribati:”ba-ririk”- small canoe and large canoe “baurua”. Reported lengths 18-e g.. length 18.2m, beam 2m, depth 1.8m.

Kiribati 1998;1,50$;SG MS573.
Source : A Dictionary of the world’s Watercraft from Aak to Zumbra.
http://www.kiribatistories.com/kiribati-canoes/

[Anatol]

Re.Baurua.

Baurua-canoe of Micronesia
Kiribati 2014;5$;SG?