Hawaiian Canoe Part Names

The following are the names of parts of the canoe, which, as will be remembered, has become a man:

Chin, 'Auwae, or Moa-moa--where the gunwale joins the bow;
Head, Po'o--the bow; and ku-apo'i, the shield, or weatherboard;
Eyes, Maka, or Manu--bow and stern;
Ears, Pepeiao--brackets for seats;
Ribs, Mo'o--gunwale;
Arms, 'Iako--arms of outrigger, and Ama, the outrigger float;
Wings, or kite, Lupe--the head of the outrigger;
Body, Kino--the hull;
Chest, Uma--the bow [cf. Pukui-Elbert Dictionary: uma is the stern.];
Back, Kikala--the stern [literally, the hip];
Feet, Kapua'i--where the outrigger is joined to walk on the sea;
Nose, Ihu--below the eye;
Wae, the braces.

Among general descriptive names relating to the canoe or its appurtenances are the following:

Hoe--Paddle,

Muku--the short end of the 'Iako

Pola--the seat between double canoes;

Pa'u o Lukia--fashion of tying outrigger for smooth water;

Kaula-'Ohi'a--fashion for tying outrigger for rough water;

Iwika'ele--the body of a canoe [Pukui-Elbert: keel of canoe.]

'Aki--the stools on which canoes are placed on dry land;

Aha hoa wa'a--canoe lashing, made from olona fiber;

Lanalana--the lashing that binds the Ama, or float, to the curved cross-pieces of the canoe's outrigger. These lashings were sometimes highly ornamental; one was called Pa'u o Lu'ukia, a very decorative affair;

Kioloa--a long, elegant, swift canoe used for display and for racing (Emerson's translation of Malo, p. 89). Also, a small canoe, (Andrews-Parker dictionary, p. 296).

Kapena--a tree sometimes used for making canoes.

The ceremony of consecrating the canoe was called "Lolowa'a," and the hog which was sacrificed after the canoe was finished and ready for launching was "Lolo."{footnote}Information from Polynesian Voyaging Society Website{/footnote}