How to Make a Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Paddle

Outrigger canoes are special watercraft traditionally used in Hawaii and other Pacific islands. They feature a support float, or outrigger, attached to the side of the canoe at the end of a boom. The outrigger makes the canoe far more stable in open water, and is thus very useful for fishing and other applications. Making paddles for these canoes can be accomplished at home with ordinary woodworking tools.

Things You'll Need

  • 1-1/4 inch thick Koa wood plank
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Band saw
  • Model paddle
  • Spokeshave
  • 60-grit sandpaper
  • Rasp
  • Belt sander
  • Tung Oil
  • Brush
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Instructions

  1. Prepare the Blank

    • 1

      Draw in pencil the outline of the paddle you wish to make on a 1 1/4 inch thick plank of native Koa wood. Ideally, this could be done by tracing an existing Hawaiian paddle. Otherwise, study the designs of native paddles and draw them by hand. A traditional Hawaiian outrigger paddle has an oval-shaped blade (as opposed to the squared-off edge of ordinary, modern paddles) at the end of a straight, unbent shaft.

      While the proper overall length of the paddle is determined by your height, the blade's width depends on what it will be used for. If you are making a paddle meant for simply propelling the outrigger, make the oval shape about 6 to 7 inches wide. For a steering paddle to be used by a crewman at the rear of the canoe, use a blade about 4 inches wider, without changing the blade's length.

    • 2

      Cut out the outline with a band saw.

    • 3

      Mark the midpoint of the blank's thickness around its perimeter.

    Blade

    • 4

      Plane the blank's blade section down to the thickness of the model's blade, probably about 3/8 inch, with the band saw.

    • 5

      Bevel the blade's edges to a 45-degree angle with a spokeshave. Also bevel the edges where the blade section meets the shaft.

    • 6

      Carve a camber into the blade by laying it flat, then spokeshaving inward from the edges, decreasing the angle that you hold the tool as you go.

    Shaft

    • 7

      Chamfer the edges of the shaft by making freehand cuts with a band saw, resulting in an octagonal cross-section.

    • 8

      Saw and chamfer the edges of the shaft once more to make it 16 sided.

    • 9

      Sand the shaft with a strip of 60-grit sandpaper held between your hands in a motion like flossing or shining shoes until the shaft is round.

    Grip and Finish

    • 10

      Trace the side profile of the model paddle's end grip into the edges and flat surface of the blank.

    • 11

      Shape the handle using cuts from a band saw and a hand rasp to form a comfortable, horizontal bar-like shape at the end.

    • 12

      Sand the end grip by holding it against a belt sander.

    • 13

      Brush several coats of tung oil over the entire paddle. Don't allow the finish to dry between coats, which hampers absorption.