I’ve recently had to work on several projects that required I study up on how polynesians navigated the Pacific Ocean thousands of years ago. Being from Easter Island (also part of Polynesia), my ancestors were these same ancient voyagers who trekked across miles of open ocean to settle new islands. The general understanding is that the ancient polynesians sailed using double hulled sailing canoes. The hulls were made out of wood (usually from giant fallen Koa trees) and the sails were fashioned out of the bark of plants like the paper mulberry bush.
Lele from cliff kapono on Vimeo.
Most recently, there has been a navigational renaissance throughout the nations of the Pacific. The Polynesian Voyaging Society and their ship the Hokulea were one of the first to start the rescue of ancient knowledge. The Hokulea has logged numerous sails across throughout the polynesian triangle and now is planning an around-the-world sail in 2014. In addition, there are at least seven other vessels that have been built and are reviving the ancient practice of wayfinding using currents, winds, waves, and the night sky. A big backer to this renaissance has been Dieter Paulmann and the Okeanos Foundation as they try to spread a message of caring for the ocean and our natural environment.
Sorry for the lecture, but polynesian navigations is a topic that keeps fascinating me. I’ve stumbled across a documentary called Our Blue Canoe about these seven canoes and the message they are trying to spread. As of August 2013 it is still in production, but here is a trailer of what they have so far:
If you want to learn more about Okeanos, Hokulea, or Our Blue Canoe, there is a ton of information on their websites.