Simple Outriggers such as this are still the main form of small water transport round many of the thousands of islands of the South Pacific. Many of these islands have to import the wood or the boat itself, for coconut trees are unsuitable for boat building - being very hard to cut, fibrous and unworkable as timber.

The advent of the outboard motor has greatly curtailed the number of these boats that use the wind or paddles, and the use of fibreglass or other synthetic materials is likely to reach even the most far flung islands before the end of the century and in doing so will bring to an end evolutionary process that has gone on for many thousands of years.

This boat was found by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and was given to him during the Queen's and The Duke of Edinburgh's Jubilee visit to the South Pacific and Australasia.

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Unknown

Fishing & Transport

Pao Pao ~ Outrigger

1959

Tonga

Pangai Motu

Length
13 ft 5 in

Width
6 ft 2 in