Very large double-hulled war canoe; probably gone by the end of the 18th century. Two types, both built up with 2-3 wide strakes from a dugout base; the pahi tama'i had a V-shaped hull that curved in at the top to take on the strakes; the va'ai tama'i had a round bottom and slab sides. On the former, the sterns swept up as high as 7,3m, while on the latter the bows were higher. The 2 hull were joined by as many as 18 strong transverse beams. Platform, raised on pillars, was set near the bow;used by chiefs and warriors. The end erections carved at the top or otherwise ornamented; some carried carved pillars at the ends or elsewhere on the craft. Piddled, the largest by as many as 144 men;same sat beneath the platform. Reported lengths 15-33m;each hull ca. 1.0m wide and 0.9-1.2m deep. Thе vessel of 108 feet in length, described with scale drawings by an expedition under Captain James Cook, was in the shipyard of the Tahitian king when Cook arrived at Tahiti. Cook requested that it be named "Britannia" but we are not certain that King Tu (Pomare I) obliged. The king and his champions stand on the fighting platform.
Cook described a mustering of the Tahitian war fleet in 1774 to put down a rebellion on the nearby island of Mo'orea:”The vessels of war consisted of 160 large double canoes, very well equipped, manned and armed... The vessels were decorated with flags, streamers, etc., so that the whole made a grand and noble appearance, such as we had never seen before in this sea…Working only with cutting tools of stone and shell, such vessels took years to build”.
Cook Islands 2013; 90c; SG?
New Caledonia 1996г;95f; SG1061.
Source : A Dictionary of the world’s Watercraft from Aak to Zumbra.