Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 1, 1 January 1995 — The refurbished Mo ʻolele onee again takes to the waves [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The refurbished Mo ʻolele onee again takes to the waves

bv Deborah L. Ward Since the mid-19th century, the Sequeira family has held on to its land in Lahaina town. It's a long way from those plantation days to the coastal resort lifestyle of today. but onee you get away from crowds of cars and tourists on Front Street, the residential side streets are quiet and green. There, in a striking A-frame house, woodcarver Keola Sequeira shapes his latest creations, sleek and imposing god images and elegant Polynesian model canoes. He began his formal study of woodcarving at Kamehameha Schools and after graduating in 1963, kept in touch with his teachers, including canoe-maker Wright Bowman, Sr. That ancient Hawaiians developed the highest form of wood carving in Polynesia has intrigued Sequeira for the 30 years he's

studied this art form. He decided to devote himself to the study of Hawaiian image carving and canoe-making. "There's so mueh to do, it ' 11 take a lifetime," he believes. Hawaiian canoes were deceptively simple in design, he says, but very functional in the water. "There is a halanee in the curves that integrates design and function." he says of the well-designed Hawaiian eanoe. Achieving that sublime - yet subtle - balance of art and performance has been Sequeira's quest. With the help of a small dedicated crew, Sequeira shaped this dream into reality. In 1975, the 42-and-a-half-foot double-hulled Hawaiian eanoe Mo'olele slipped into the waters off Lahaina, only three months after the launching of its betterknown sister, Hōkūle'a. Unhke the Hōkūle'a, whieh was built for long voyages, the smaller Mo'olele was built for interisland travel. The size of many racing canoes, it was built for a 1 2-man crew to handle in any situation, but it has carried up to 38 persons for brief jaunts in nearshore waters. Mo'olele weighs 4,000 lbs., and with its

200 sq. ft of sail, ean take 25- to 40-knot winds. Its hulls are fiberglass, its manu are koa, the seats and platform are mahogany, and the running rigging for sails is spruce. lt uses nylon/dacron ropes. But everything is lashed together in traditional Hawaiian style. Over the nearly 20 years since it was first built, the eanoe has made numerous interisland trips and given many students of Hawai'i a ehanee to experience travel by eanoe. A year's worth of intensive restoration by Sequeira (who was sometimes aided by volunteers, but more often worked alone) has brought new life to the eanoe through repairs to sun and termite damage and the rebuilding of some parts. If the eanoe is maintained, he says, it ean be kept another 20, 30, or even 50 years. Restoration took 1,600 man-hours, whieh Sequeira estimates to be worth $14,000. Contributions were received from Oswald Stender, the Baldwin Estate, the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau, Sen. Roz Baker and Maui County. In ancient tradition, says Sequeira, kāhuna kālai ki'i (image carver) and kāhuna kālai wa'a (eanoe carver) passed on what they

knew to their best students, but they always kept back some knowledge. It was up to the inquiring student to discover that knowledge on his own. Sequeira learned the principles of wood carving and building canoes from his teachers at Kamehameha Schools. For a time he was involved in paddling, but

felt increasingly drawn to the eultural side of canoes more than the athletics. He began to study dou-ble-hulled canoes and wind power. "You move a eanoe with your mind." he says, "with knowledge of the oeean, eanoe and wave." He read every book ever written on Hawaiian canoes, and compared them to canoes of the North and South Pacific. He went into caves

to study old dugout canoes. He found too that while building a eanoe solutions to problems would eome to him in dreams. Sequeira says, "01d kāhuna kālai wa'a speak to you. ... in spirit. In the dreams, knowledge is passed on. " After decades of research and practice in designing, building and working on both model and fullsize canoes, Sequeira understands the subtleties of design and function in Hawaiian canoes that elevate eanoe building to an art. Last summer he was recognized as a kahuna kālai wa'a, master eanoe builder in ceremonies held at Olowalu to launeh the refurbished Mo'olele and to thank the volunteers who helped. The title recognizes he has mastery of the art. As he says, "To know the shape is one thing. To get from a round log to a eanoe, that's the hard part." He acknowledges that some may object to renewed use of the kahuna title, but he responds that kāhuna were keepers of the knowIedge. "If Hawaiians are to regain their

culture, we must recognize and bring back titles without fear." Years of working with and sailing canoes have taught him great respect for ancient Hawaiians and what they could do. Their technology was limited, but not their minds, he says. "Don't let that knowledge die," he says. His goal now is for more people, especially Hawaiians, to participate in the Hui O Wa'a Kaulua eanoe club, and to experience what it is like to travel to different islands by eanoe. Club members have the opportunity to learn how to work as a crew to sail the eanoe under various conditions. The eanoe club is also looking for a new home for the Mo'olele, preferably on Maui's west side, with a sandy beach for launching, and room for a hālau wa'a (eanoe shelter) where interpretive programs couId be offered, and where visits by other canoes could be

aeeommoaaiea ror speciat events. They are hoping to lease land from Maui County, the state or a private landowner to build this hālau. Sequeira says, "It's sad to think of the miles of West Maui coastline with no room for one eanoe." Sequeira's long-term goal, though, is more far-reaching. The knowledge of the eanoe builder's art should not be allowed to die, he believes. Having spent the better part of his life dedicated to this skill, he is concerned that as yet no one has eome forward to learn and perpetuate this knowledge. He hopes to build another dou-ble-hulled eanoe some day to serve as a teaching project for students, but is not interested in any eommercial project that might involve it or the Mo'olele. He says, "The eanoe is the last and most central part of Hawaiian culture. It is not for sale at any price. This is for the Hawaiian people." For information about Hui O Wa'a Kaulua, write to: 573 Waine'e St., Lahaina, Hawai'i 96761; FAX (808) 661-3469.

"You move a eanoe with your minel with knowledge of the oeean, eanoe and wave." - Keola Sequeira

The Mo olele, first launched 20 years ago, was re-launched last summer.

Built for interisland travel rather than transoceanic voyages, the Mo'olele was designed for a 12-man crew.