Welcome to my two years of research dedicated to bridging the gap between the canoes of Oceania and their precise cultural and geographical homes. Visit my page
As a dedicated builder of model canoes, I've always admired the seminal works of scholars like A.C. HADDEN and Jean NEYRET .. Their comprehensive catalogs provide an invaluable foundation for anyone studying the history and construction of these incredible vessels. However, when seeking to understand exactly where and by whom a specific canoe type was built—down to the atoll or island—the process often requires extensive cross-referencing, especially in relation to Melanesian type canoes.
My goal with the listing of all those canoes is simple: immediate geographical and cultural context.
Connecting Craft to Culture
This resource is designed for the modern reader. Every entry provides not just the canoe’s type or name , but a direct link to its place of origin, whether it is a small, remote island or a major archipelago. When you navigate my list, you will be able to:
Instantly Locate: Find the canoe's home on a map via a direct geographical link (e.g., to the island’s Wikipedia page or a reliable cultural atlas entry).
Learn the People: Discover the history, language, and unique heritage of the tribe or culture that designed and built that specific craft.
Appreciate the Engineering: Understand the local resources and sometimes the needs that drove the canoe’s unique construction features.
By connecting the reader immediately to the place and the people, I endeavor to transform a technical listing into a rich cultural history.
My canoe listing is organized geographically (Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia) and is continually updated with new information verified against historical records and contemporary ethnographic studies. As as said in the intro to my page POLYNESIAN CANOES I intend to list the canoes, which so far are listed by the broader regions of Oceania, by archipelago, atoll or island.
The Journey Continues
This project is a labor of love, developed in parallel with my primary work of crafting detailed miniature models of these very vessels. The insights gained from building these canoes—understanding the sheer scale, the materials, and the skill required—deepens the respect for the original builders.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Please explore the A LOVE FOR CANOES and use the links to immediately anchor these incredible feats of ocean engineering within their vibrant cultural contexts. If you have corrections or additional information, please contact me, as this is a living document dedicated to accuracy and accessibility.
Note: The listings are a personal research project, based to date on two years of work by the author, a dedicated model canoe builder.