MO'OLELE OR REVERSE ENGENEERING

Bulding a scale model from scratch without physical plans is always a feat of “reverse engineering” whereby I have to admit that building the MO’OLELE was fairly simple compared now to having to build the HIKIANALIA .

In 2022, I accepted a commission to build a scale replica of the Maui-built Hawaiian canoe, MO’OLELE. This project presented a unique challenge; I had no physical access to the vessel and no existing architectural plans to guide me.

Drawing on decades of research into Oceanic canoes and added experience building canoe models, I was able to reconstruct the primary lines of the hull using comparative disign. To determine the exact ratios for the beam and the height of the mast, I utilized the known length of the canoe as a mathematical baseline.

By analyzing videos, I identified the characteristics that make the MO’OLELE unique- from the specific curvature of the spreaders to the shape of the Mo’olele (Flying lizard) carving that gives the vessel its name.