Virgin Voyager, Part I

Lying in a rope net just above the water, watching the sun sink toward the horizon and dipping my fingers into the cold Pacific, I indulged in a moment of peace and contentment.

I was aboard a waka hourua (or vaka, depending on where you are), a traditional Polynesian ocean-going sailing vessel. A dear friend of mine had been working on a documentary in the South Pacific involving six of these ships and managed to set up my travel companions and me with a day on the waka in Auckland learning to sail. 

We joined a group of Maori teens who had been brought on board as part of a program to revive cultural traditions among the Maori population in New Zealand. We were taught the names of the sails, terms like “port”, “starboard”, “aft” and “fore”, how to raise and lower the sails properly, how to maneuver the hoe, and the basics of wind propulsion. The teens seemed to be soaking up this information, passing pop quizzes with ease and enthusiasm, while I drifted in and out of listening. I was too busy soaking up the sun and the sea, and chatting with the skipper. 

Hooki at the hoe

We spent the day tacking lazily back and forth across the Rangitoto Channel and anchored near a beach for a bit of lunch and a swim. My friends and I joined the kids in gleeful leaps off the front of the boat, struggling afterward to pull ourselves aboard in the midst of hearty laughter.

 

As we deboarded the waka that evening the teens and their leaders lined up for the traditional Maori greeting, the hongi. My friends and I moved down the receiving line pressing our noses and foreheads against those of our sailing companions. I had no clue what I was supposed to do and actually blew my nose onto the first face I encountered. He politely ignored it and I continued down the line.

Hongi

I left the waka feeling so lucky to have had this unique experience with such a unique group of people. Little did I know that I should have been paying attention to the instructors as I would need those sailing skills in just a few short days.

To be continued…