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“It dawned on us that voyaging societies that seemed to prosper were those that built their own canoes
and so we became very determined to build our own canoe,” said Young.
He notes that the design of the tabetebete waqa drua is more contemporary, as “we want to have this
approved by the various authorities like the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, and to do international sailing,
you have to have all those boxes ticked.”
He continues: “The planks are stitched, meaning it's not from a single dugout from a log because of the
scale of the vessel… It will be over 105 feet [long]. A traditional build of this size would take 5-7 years. But
we are using modern tools as we are focused on the performance of the vessel.”
Young says the process of selecting people to work on the massive project was organic. “We haven't
really sought experienced workers per se. We thought it was an opportunity to give the very young people
an opportunity. We need to train the young, as well as the experienced.”
The novices are learning from experienced builders such as 60-year-old Inoke Galu from Kabara, Lau.
Galu, who hails from a family of traditional boat-builders, says the new tabetebete waqa drua “looks like
it’s going to be lighter and carry more passengers” when compared to vessels of the past.
He says the project has been integral in bringing together craftspeople of similar backgrounds.
“This is a new [boat] design and that is why me and other traditional boat-builders (or mataisau) were
called to give encouragement daily to the young builders. The work is progressing well,” he said.
Fiji Traveller will be following the progress of the build online, so keep checking our website.
You can visit the site of the build behind the new National Art Gallery in the St Stephen’s Building compound on Victoria Parade.

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